


Transmigration of the Soul

by PartTimeGiraffeChoreographer



Series: Transmigration of the Soul [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Anxiety, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Blood, Depression, Don't Worry Papyrus Has the Swear Jar Ready, Eventual Smut, F/M, Female Reader, Flashbacks, Fluff, It's Totally Optional Though, Japes, Mild Language, Phobia, Pre-War Details, Prejudice, Protective Sans, Racism, Reader Is Not Frisk, Romance, Selectively Mute Frisk, Seriously Going to be Fluffier than King Fluffybuns, Seven Human Mages, Slow Burn, Violence, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2017-03-02
Packaged: 2018-06-01 22:47:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 64
Words: 336,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6539620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PartTimeGiraffeChoreographer/pseuds/PartTimeGiraffeChoreographer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You, like many others, are torn over the sudden appearance of monsters. You'd always thought of yourself as an open-minded person, but something about them triggers your subconscious fears. After moving to Ebott City for a new job, a tall, loud, cheerful skeleton explodes into your life and challenges you to confront your phobia. </p><p>However, things are never that easy. Ancient prejudices and betrayals threaten to destroy everything you've worked for, and you find yourself caught in a maelstrom of events, both past and present, that you could never have predicted. </p><p>It is up to you to weather the storm with the help of your new friends, or risk being pulled under for good.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Emergence of Monsters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya! So, this is my first fic on this site and, honestly, the first fic I've written in _years_. I had this idea bouncing around my head for a little while now, and it seems determined to make itself known. I do have a basic idea of where this fic is headed, but I like to let the finer details in-between surprise me. (I have a number of chapters written already, and some scenes which were completely unplanned have become a pleasant surprise.) 
> 
> Anyway, for those wondering, this is a Papyrus/Reader fic. It'll take a couple chapters to really get going (Papyrus himself doesn't appear until Chapter 3) but once the basics are laid out, it does pick up from there. I'm still undecided if there will be smut in this fic, or if it'll just be fluff. Either way, that's still a ways down the road, and we'll see how it goes when we get there. 
> 
> One last note for clarification:  
>  _"Dialogue in italics like this are character thoughts, and are not voiced out loud."_

Darkness, pain, and _fear_. These were the most prevalent things in your mind. You looked around you, confused and afraid. Where were you?  


"H-hello?" you called out into the darkness, your voice quiet and raspy. But nobody came.  


You looked around, your hazy mind desperately taking in every detail it could, trying to remember how you got here. You were somewhere very dark. A prison cell it seems? You could make out the details of bars contrasting the small amount of flickering light cast on the wall from somewhere down the hallway. You shifted slightly and groaned in pain. You arms and legs were bound tightly, to the point where your wrists and ankles were so raw that the little movement you were capable of caused pain to shoot up your limbs. The place also reeked of shit and blood. You grimaced slightly when it occurred to you that the smell might actually be emanating from you, given how dirty and disgusting you felt. You still couldn't recall how or why you were imprisoned like this. It felt like the answer was just out of reach in your mind... so close you could almost touch it...  


Your thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a door slamming open nearby, followed by approaching footsteps. You were soon confronted by an intimidating man wearing heavy-looking armor. He was flanked by several younger men wearing chainmail, one of whom was carrying a torch.  


"The time for you to consider the King's _incredibly generous_ offer is up. So, what will it be, heathen? Will you comply willingly, or should I tell the headsman to prepare to send you back to Hell where you belong?" the man asked impatiently.  
  
You hesitated, the details of this deal fluttering on the edge of your consciousness. You didn't want to comply... You felt in your gut that it was wrong, but... the alternative terrified you.  
  
_"No... I can't deal with that... Not again..."_  
  
Wait... Again? Your head spun at the weird sense of déjà-vu. You curled in on yourself as the earth seemed to shift beneath you, a screeching sound growing louder and louder inside your throbbing skull. You began to thrash...  
  
... And jerked awake as your body hit the floor. You were covered in sweat and tangled up in your sheets. Your alarm continued to screech angrily on the other side of the room, and, not for the first time, you cursed putting it so far away. (But, let's face it, if it was next to your bed then you might never get up on time.) You flailed sleepily about while trying to untangle yourself, settling for dragging the sheets halfway across your room so that you could turn off your obnoxiously loud alarm.  
  
With the alarm off, you leaned against the wall feeling exhausted.  
  
_"What was up with that dream?"_ you wondered. It left you feeling unsettled... You shook it off and went about getting ready for work.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You worked retail, so your job wasn't exactly glorious. You were still sending out resumes in hopes of landing something better, but in the meantime this kept the bills paid. ... Barely.  
  
At least you got along pretty well with your coworkers.  
  
The week passed along pretty quietly for the most part. It wasn't until the end of the week that the rumor mill, which you were generally oblivious to, finally caught your attention.  
  
"I'm not kidding! It's absolutely true! It's been all over the news all morning!" you overheard Jess saying to Danny as you entered the break room.  
  
"What channel, the Scy-fy channel?" Danny responded sarcastically.  
  
"Ugh, no." Jess said, clearly frustrated, then she spotted you. "_____! You've heard the news, right? Back me up here!"  
  
"Heard what news?" You questioned. You briefly wondered what could have happened to have Jess in such a tizzy. Sure, she could be a bit spastic, but not this much. You silently prayed it wasn't something bad. That was one of the major reasons you didn't like watching the news too much in the first place: the focus on negativity.  
  
"Here! Just look at this!" Jess said, and after looking something up on her phone, she turned it towards both Danny and yourself so you could both see.  
  
You sat down with your lunch, and turned your attention to Jess' phone. The video was apparently a newscast that had happened live this morning.  
  
"Thanks, Mark. I'm reporting live from here in Ebott City on this amazing development; but first a little background for our latest viewers. Behind me stands the eponymous Mount Ebott, for which this city was named. This is a mountain that has been steeped in myth and legends for centuries. According to local legends, long ago, a war that had raged across the area was finally ended upon the slopes of Mount Ebott. Since then, the mountain has remained cursed. It is said that those who climb this peak are swallowed by the mountain, never to return."  
  
You took a bite of your sandwich as the reporter spoke. Ebott City? That wasn't really that far; only a couple hours away by car.  
  
_"Cursed mountain, huh? Since when are superstitions cutting-edge news?"_ you wondered to yourself.  
  
"However, just a few days ago it seems this curse was broken, and the descendents of those long-since defeated people, one of Mount Ebott's most ancient, legendary inhabitants, emerged from its core: monsters."  
  
Danny made a disgruntled noise at that declaration, and you nearly choked on your sandwich. That was not the sort of announcement you had expected.  
  
_"Is this some sort of April Fools' Day prank?"_ You wondered to yourself. But that couldn't be it... It was still mid-March.  
  
"Now, I know most of you are probably thinking that this is some sort of gag, but I can assure you, this report is no joke. Although contact has been limited for the time being, countless eye witnesses, including myself, have confirmed that actual living monsters have emerged."  
  
The view of the mountain was obscured as an, admittedly shoddy, picture of two white, goat-like creatures was superimposed over it. It seemed there were no official pictures, and this was the best they had at the moment. The picture made you tense.  
  
"Their leaders, King Asgore Dreemurr and Queen Toriel Dreemurr, have arranged a press conference this afternoon with their human ambassador, Frisk, to formally introduce monsterkind to humans. Security has been tightened significantly, and the area around the conference itself will be off limits to civilians for the time being. I promise you, though, that we will be right in the thick of it with live coverage once the conference begins, ready to bring you the latest news and get answers to many of the rumors that have been circulating. Back to you, Mark!"  
  
"What?? That's totally fake! Isn't it?" Danny exclaimed, though the serious look on Jess' face seemed to cause him some doubt.  
  
"Don't believe me? Look it up yourself! Every major news source is talking about it!" Jess challenged.  
  
Danny had his phone out within moments and began looking this up himself. You began to quickly wolf down your food as Danny's reactions made it apparent that he was finding no evidence that this was, in fact, a joke.  
  
"Shit... you're right... It's everywhere..." he murmured as his eyes remained glued to his phone.  
  
Having finished your lunch in record time, you pulled out your phone and began to browse the internet. Your facebook feed alone had practically exploded with links to articles and discussions about the emergence of monsters in Ebott and what it might mean for the future.  
  
It seemed everyone was talking about the news, and that meant rampant rumors and speculation. Some were speculating that the disappearances Mount Ebott was known for were actually people being kidnapped and eaten by the monsters. Others pointed out that this probably wasn't the case because, if that were true, why were they suddenly revealing themselves now? Others, still, dug up old stories and myths about Mount Ebott, describing the mountain as their prison, which meant they couldn't have been leaving and kidnapping people. These sources were questionable, though, as they also said it was seven human mages who used their magic to imprison the monsters, and everyone knew humans didn't actually have magic, right?  
  
There were also rumors that their ambassador was actually a little kid, though these rumors weren't taken very seriously. After all, how ridiculous would that be?  
  
Speculation on what they'd be like and how they'd interact with humans was a very popular subject. Some were hopeful that they'd be friendly, using the upcoming press conference as a sign of their intelligence and desire for diplomacy. Others worried that it was a ruse to let them establish a foothold before striking against humanity, after all they'd been imprisoned for a reason, right? Then, there were the people who pointed out that, even if they didn't have good intentions, they'd be hard-pressed to be bigger assholes than humanity.  
  
"Ugh... they haven't even been able to properly introduce themselves yet and there's already websites devoted to driving them back underground..." you muttered to yourself as you browsed yet another link. It didn't surprise you, really. After all, humans had a hard enough time accepting other humans who were different. The idea that monsters, whose very name carried such heavily negative connotations for humanity, would be welcomed with open arms was utterly foolish.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Your lunch break came to an end far too quickly for your liking, and the coworker covering your break, Kathy, was calling you back to the front end the second your lunch break was over.  
  
"Sorry to rush you," she apologized. "But there's a problem with register 6. Would you take a look at it while I handle these customers?"  
  
"Sure, no problem." You agreed.  
  
You walked over to register 6, where Sean was waiting to explain the situation, an irritated customer standing impatiently at the counter.  
  
"I don't know what it's doing. When I try to use the customer's coupon, it won't go through." he explained anxiously.  
  
You examined the coupon, seeing that it was valid, and then looked at the transaction. Everything SEEMED to be in order... Focusing on the transaction, you tried scanning the coupon. The system beeped, and the coupon was applied without issue.  
  
"There we go. It seems to be working now." You said. "Here, I'll even give you 50% off another item as apologies for the wait, ma'am." you smiled at the customer. Her irritation softened considerably.  
  
"Thank you, dear!" she seemed relieved now, and got out her card to pay.  
  
You walked back over to Kathy, who was just finishing up with her last customer.  
  
"Was it an issue with the coupon again?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, apparently it wasn't working before, but it went in fine when I tried it." you shrugged.  
  
"I swear, you've got some sort of super power." Kathy chuckled. "That coupon has been giving us trouble all morning, but the moment you try it, it works fine! This happens every time we have a computer issue! You must be the computer whisperer or something!"  
  
You laughed along with her.  
  
"Clearly I should be joining the X-Men!" you declared. "Although, I'd need a better code-name than 'Computer Whisperer', Kathy," you teased.  
  
Thankfully, the rest of the day went smoothly, and all thoughts of cursed mountains and monsters faded to the back of your mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the document I've been writing in, this chapter seemed REALLY long. I ended up deciding to split it into two separate chapters. Looking at it on here, though, I realize it really wasn't that bad. If anything, the word count I've been going for in each chapter is probably a little short. Ah well. Live and learn. I'll probably end up leaving the chapters I've already written as they are. Maybe I'll see if there's anything worth adding to them before I post them. I won't worry nearly so much about length for future chapters, though. 
> 
> I also had to go back and and add dialogue for Reader. For some reason, on my first pass, my brain decided that Reader should be giving Frisk a run for their money with how talkative they were. ;P It's a little awkward, but gets the job done.


	2. News Conference

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note on Dialogue:  
>  _"Dialogue in italics like this are character thoughts, and are not voiced out loud."_

You arrived back at your apartment and were greeted by your cat, Cleocatra. (You couldn't resist the pun.) She sauntered over to you and gave you her best 'Why aren't you petting me yet? Not that I'm eager for your affection, or anything,' look. She was such a grumpy scaredy cat around strangers, but you knew that she was an affectionate softy at her core. The way she'd greet you at the door, or follow you around the house betrayed her attempts to seem aloof.  
  
"Hey, Cleo! Did you miss me?" you beamed as you scratched along her neck and back, just the way she liked. When you stood back up to head to your bedroom and change, she gave you a grumpy 'I didn't tell you to stop,' look, and followed a short distance behind.  
  
Once you had settled in, it didn't take long for you to remember the events that happened at lunch.  
  
"Monsters... Could they actually be real? Well, there's that news conference tonight, so I may as well watch it," you pondered to yourself.  
  
You turned on the TV and changed the channel to a random news station. You turned up the volume so that you could hear it from the kitchen, and started making dinner.  
  
By the time you finished cooking a pizza and sat down on the couch in the living room, you were already sick of the news.  
  
"Ugh, we get it already! The conference starts at 7 o'clock! Sheesh!" you grouched. Cleo simply gave you a sour look for jostling the couch when you plopped down, waking her from her nap.  
  
The conference would be starting within the next few minutes, but they apparently felt the need to remind everyone of the exact same details about it every 60 seconds. Presumably this was for the benefit of people just tuning it, but it was still annoying as hell. Another reason you hated watching the news.  
  
Finally, the conference began. The cameras switched to the live feed in Ebott City, and the governor, Patrick Walsh, walked up to the podium.  
  
"Ahem. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. As you all have heard, we have something very important to announce this evening. For eons, humanity has wondered if there is intelligent life elsewhere in this vast universe of ours. Never could we have imagined that we would finally find the answer so close to home. For centuries, a kingdom has thrived beneath the slopes of Mount Ebott. A kingdom of beings we had all written off as a myth. However, that myth has proven to be as real as you and I, and they are finally freed to rejoin humanity on the surface. I ask that you show our new neighbors all the dignity and respect deserving of any other nation, as they become acclimated to living beside humans once again."  
  
The governor continued with his speech about new opportunities and showing how much has changed in the centuries since monsters were sealed underground. (You noticed that he avoided the word "imprisoned.") Then came the mayor of Ebott City, some senators and congressmen, diplomats... It was absolutely remarkable how much time politicians could waste blathering on like this. The governor returned one final time.  
  
"And now, it is my great honor to introduce the King and Queen of monsters as well as their, er, ambassador."  
  
There was a noticeable hesitation when he mentioned the ambassador. That was weird.  
  
"Please welcome King Asgore Dreemurr, Queen Toriel Dreemurr, and Ambassador Frisk Dreemurr!"  
  
There was applause, and then an explosion of whispering from the media in the audience as two large goat monsters dressed in fine robes and cloaks, followed by a young child, equally dressed up, walked up to the podium. There was some shuffling as microphones were adjusted, and a tall stool was brought out for the child.  
  
Your eyes were glued to the king of monsters. Something about him made you incredibly uneasy. You couldn't pinpoint why. If anything, the King and Queen of monsters were fuzzy and cute, but something still nagged at the back of your mind...  
  
"Ah, thank you, Governor Walsh." rumbled King Asgore in a deep, but soothing, baritone. He looked a bit sheepish for a moment, but quickly composed himself.  
  
"Good evening, humans of the world. I am King Asgore Dreemurr, ruler of the kingdom of monsters. While I'm sure our presence, our very existence even, may come as quite a shock to many of you, my heart is warmed by the outpouring of understanding and support we have received in just the past few days alone. I am hopeful that the time has finally come for humans and monsters to live together in peace."  
  
His voice was deep, but soft and kind, and his features seemed filled with hope. Yet, the more you watched King Asgore speak, the more you seemed to fill with fear and dread.  
  
"W-why... why do I feel like something horrible is going to happen?" your voice was soft and shaky.  
  
Cleo, having sensed your mood, climbed into your lap. Your hand automatically reaching to pat her, calming a bit as you did so.  
  
Queen Toriel was next to speak, her voice kind and motherly. You felt better with the camera focused on her, but still nervous and wary.  
  
"This is ridiculous..." you muttered to yourself. "There's no reason for me to be so afraid... They haven't even done anything..."  
  
The thought occurred to you that your fear of these monsters could be construed as racist.  
  
"Shit... no. I'm not racist! Am I?" you began to worry.  
  
You'd always tried to be open-minded and accepting of others. Sure, there were some people you had issues with, but that was on an individual basis, not because of their race. You tried to give everyone the benefit of the doubt until they'd proved otherwise...  
  
But this... this was different. You barely knew anything about these people besides that they were called "monsters" and had been living under Mount Ebott, yet you felt that if you were to meet a monster on the street tomorrow, you'd probably turn and run.  
  
"Maybe it's just the shock of something new..." you tried to rationalize. "I-I'm sure once everything dies down and I have time to get used to the idea of monsters that I'll be fine..."  
  
You could only wait and hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, Papyrus makes his first appearance!


	3. Don't Be Upsetti! Have Some Spaghetti!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note on Dialogue:  
>  _"Dialogue in italics like this are character thoughts, and are not voiced out loud."_

You huffed as you tried to maintain your grip on the mattress as you and your sister, Cheryl, hoisted it up the stairs. Cleo hissed at both of you as you passed by her carrier on the way to the bedroom. She was still VERY agitated about being brought to someplace unfamiliar, and you knew that it'd take at least a few days before she'd be settled enough in the new apartment to begin exploring, and longer still after that before she forgave you.  
  
You felt bad. She was such a nervous cat, and you had sworn to yourself after you'd moved into your previous apartment that you wouldn't make her go through another move. But when you'd been called for that interview, the first one you'd had in months, you knew you couldn't turn down the job.  
  
It had been a year since monsters had emerged from Mount Ebott. While some monsters ventured out, eager to see the world, many settled in Ebott City. Their presence had caused tourism in Ebott to practically explode. Some were interested in their culture, taking in the sights and sounds of Monstertown (the new district that had been built up on the outskirts of the city. Although, you had heard rumors that the King of monsters had wanted to call the district "New New Home," and had been shot down), taking in the scenery, trying monster food, and interacting with the locals... Others, though, treated it more like a visit to the zoo or circus.  
  
Regardless of their intentions, the tourism had allowed for an economic boom in Ebott, which meant many new jobs for both humans and monsters. A new technological corporation, Mount Ebott Entrepreneurial Technologies (or, MEET, for short), had started up with the hope of developing new technologies based on human and monster ingenuity combined. Certainly, after witnessing the rise of entertainment superstar and technological marvel, Mettaton, there was no doubt that monsters had a great deal to bring to the table.  
  
You had been offered an entry-level position in the company. Not only would this get your foot in the door of the technology field, but the pay was MUCH better than your minimum wage retail job. So, given that commuting several hours each way was unrealistic, you had to go back on your promise to Cleo and uproot her again as you moved to Ebott City. She'd forgive you. ... Eventually.  
  
"Where do you want this?" your brother, Peter, asked as he hefted a heavy box containing most of the parts of your computer through the doorway.  
  
"Bring it into the bedroom. I'm going to be setting my desk up in there."  
  
You were grateful to your siblings for helping you get everything moved. It would have been a hell of a project without them.  
  
After hours of moving belongings and furniture up the stairs and unpacking the essentials, the three of you decided to celebrate your new job and a successful move. Pizza was ordered, soda poured, and your video game consoles and movies were unpacked for hours of laughter and entertainment. The three of you didn't get together like this very often, usually only on holidays, but it was always fun, and a wonderful way to start off life in a new place.  
  
With the weather warming, the laughter of your family, and a new job in a field you actually wanted to work in, you were filled with hope for the future.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You sighed as you stared at your computer. The project you had been assigned was, quite frankly, boring. You'd been given some basic, tedious assignments testing some non-essential programs, and taking notes of any issues. It mostly involved following a basic list of things to check for in each program, over and over again, and seeing if anything went wrong. 95% of the time, things were stable.  
  
You supposed it made sense to have you on something non-essential like this. You were new and had no prior experience besides your education. You should be grateful to even be here.  
  
Didn't mean you had to like the grunt work, though.  
  
"Hey- uh... _____, was it? Jeremy's going to order from the Marco's Italian. You want anything?" one of your coworkers, you forgot his name, asked you.  
  
A quick glance at the sandwich sitting on the desk next to you was enough to make up your mind.  
  
"Sure, I'll have some spaghetti."  
  
"No problem! Would you mind picking the food up? They don't deliver, but the food is absolutely worth it!"  
  
You glowered in annoyance at what's-his-name. You should have known there'd be a catch to asking the new person if they wanted take-out. He at least had the sense to look chastised.  
  
"I-I'll even pay for yours this time! The food is really good! I promise!"  
  
"I better get some meatballs with my spaghetti." you grumbled, still a little annoyed, but not enough to turn down some good Italian. Especially good Italian that you didn't have to pay for.  
  
"Sure! No problem! I'll tell Jeremy to call in the order!"  
  
He jogged off, leaving you to get back to your work.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You arrived at Marco's a little too early, it seemed. You were given an estimate of another 10 minutes. You paid and stood off to the side of the counter to await the food. The place was fairly quiet, but the bustle of the staff as they cleaned off numerous messy tables told you that they'd just finished the worst part of the lunch rush. You barely noticed when the door opened.  
  
"GREETINGS, HUMANS! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE RETURNED TO TRY ANOTHER OF YOUR FINE CUISINES!"  
  
You nearly jumped out of your skin as the quiet bustle of the restaurant was shattered by the surprisingly loud declaration of its latest patron. You turned and stiffened as a skeleton strode confidently from the entrance up to the counter. The fact that there was a skeleton walking around was enough to throw you off-kilter on its own, but the addition of his incredible height had you reeling.  
  
"Shit..." you cursed quietly to yourself, then blushed in embarrassment as you realized you'd muttered the curse out loud. Thankfully, all attention was on the boisterous skeleton and no one seemed to notice.  
  
You had only encountered a few monsters since moving to Ebott City. Even at work, almost all the monsters employed there were in positions way over your head, so you only ever saw them briefly in passing. While you'd succeeded in dulling the feelings of fear monsters instilled in you since they'd appeared, they still made you nervous. You were disappointed in yourself. You had hoped you'd be over this by now.  
  
Whilst you were distracted with your feelings of self-loathing over your irrational fear, the skeleton finally seemed to notice you.  
  
"AH! HELLO HUMAN! I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE MET! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS!" he extended his hand towards you, grinning happily (Or was that just how his face was naturally??) and completely oblivious to your nervous shifting and tension.  
  
You hesitated briefly, but decided it would be rude not to reciprocate.  
  
"I-I'm _____..." you introduced yourself, gently shaking his hand. His grip was firm and enthusiastic.  
  
"IT IS NICE TO MEET YOU! GIVEN YOUR PRESENSE IN THIS FINE ESTABLISHMENT, I AM GOING TO GUESS THAT YOU ARE A FELLOW FAN OF SPAGHETTI?"  
  
"Well, y-yes..."  
  
"OF COURSE! IT WAS A SILLY QUESTION! WHO DOESN'T LOVE SPAGHETTI?"  
  
"Uh..."  
  
"WELL, IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME HERE, YOU ARE IN FOR A TREAT! THIS PLACE HAS MANY FINE SPAGHETTI DISHES! DID YOU KNOW THAT SPAGHETTI CAN BE SERVED WITH CHICKEN?!"  
  
"Er... Yes?"  
  
"ALTHOUGH NOTHING COULD COMPARE TO THE SPAGHETTI PREPARED BY THE GREAT MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS, I HAVE LEARNED A GREAT DEAL ABOUT NEW SPAGHETTI DISHES SINCE I STARTED DINING HERE!"  
  
The skeleton, Papyrus you reminded yourself, was very enthusiastic. As he continued to chat, rather loudly, about all the different pasta dishes he had tried and his thoughts on them, you found your nervousness gradually slipping away. You were still a bit shy, but his enthusiasm was infectious and you found yourself gently smiling along with him.  
  
"... AND I GREATLY ENJOYED THE CHICKEN PARMESAN I HAD YESTERDAY! I CANNOT WAIT TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE IT MYSELF! I ALREADY HAVE MANY IDEAS ON HOW TO MAKE IT EVEN BETTER!"  
  
"Oh? How do you know how to improve it if you don't know how to make it yet?" you responded, bemused.  
  
Your conversation was interrupted by the hostess tending the counter.  
  
"Excuse me, but your order is ready."  
  
"Ah, thanks." you accepted the food and turned back to Papyrus, smiling lightly, "Well, I should probably get this back to the office while it's still hot. It was nice talking to you."  
  
"LIKEWISE, HUMAN! IT IS ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO MEET A FELLOW PASTA ENTHUSIAST! PERHAPS WE WILL HAVE TIME TO TALK AGAIN ANOTHER TIME?"  
  
"Perhaps. If this food is half as good as you say it is, I'm sure I'll be back."  
  
"THEN I LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT TIME WE MEET!" he grinned broadly.  
  
You waved goodbye and returned to the office with the food, mood buoyed by your experience.  
  
_"Maybe it won't be so hard to get over this ridiculous fear after all?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost went with Mount Ebott Environmental Technologies, mostly because I wanted the acronym to be "MEET" (Their slogan would be something like "Where humans and monsters meet to build a better future") and have the focus of the company be on producing cleaner energy, like The Core does. I decided on Entrepreneurial instead, because it maintains the acronym without limiting the scope of the company. 
> 
> Oddly enough, I've put a lot of thought into this company, (even designed a slogan and logo) but don't have any specific plans to have it featured with any sort of prominence... It's kind of like giving a background character with no dialogue a full backstory. Hm. Perhaps some day, whether it's in this story or some future one, I'll take the time to feature it.


	4. We Have Got To Stop Meeting Like This

It had been three weeks since you'd first gone to Marco's and met the skeleton, Papyrus. You hadn't been back there since, but it totally wasn't your fault! Things just kept coming up. I mean, the first few days were perfectly understandable. You didn't want to eat pasta that soon afterwards, and while your pay was better here, eating out too often would still be a waste of money when you could make your own lunch for less. Then there had been that staff meeting, and crunch time as the higher-ups put special emphasis on productivity. Then it had been rainy, and you didn't want to get wet...  
  
_"Who am I kidding..."_ you sighed to yourself. You knew you were just making excuses.  
  
If you were completely honest, you were incredibly nervous about meeting him again. Sure, things had gone smoothly that one time, but what if they didn't next time? What if the first time was just a fluke? I mean, you had let him do most of the talking, but you couldn't stay quiet ALL the time! Or, what if he wasn't the only monster to eat there, and what if they weren't as easy to get along with? He'd see your phobia and think you were racist! And after this long, what if he realized you'd been avoiding him and hated you for it?!  
  
You stopped your train of thought when you realized you were making yourself so anxious you were nearly hyperventilating. You looked around to see if any of your coworkers noticed, but thankfully they were all on lunch by now. You took a few moments to steady your breathing.  
  
_"I'm never going to get over this if I don't at least TRY to do something..."_ you steeled your resolve. _"That's it! I'm going there today!"_  
  
You grabbed your lunch and made a quick stop in the break room before heading out.  
  
The crinkle of your bagged lunch as you store it in the company fridge fills you with determination.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"So much for determination..." you grumbled.  
  
Apparently determination was not your strong suit. You had been standing a few feet away from the door to Marco's for the past ten minutes trying to will yourself to go inside. Your doubts had bubbled their way back to the surface, and now you were just standing there like an idiot.  
  
_"What if he's not even here? What if he doesn't remember me? What if he hates me? What if he-"_  
  
"HELLO, HUMAN!"  
  
"AAH!!"  
  
Papyrus gave you a curious look as you jerked violently in surprise, nearly tripping over your own feet as you spun around to face him behind you.  
  
"Ah... hah.. er... hey..." you managed to squeak out between pants as you tried to slow your rapidly beating heart. Your attempt was made pointless, however, as you quickly realized how absolutely ridiculous you must seem and immediately flushed in embarrassment.  
  
"ARE YOU ALRIGHT, HUMAN? YOU SEEMED DISTRACTED."  
  
"I-I'm fine! Fine! I was just er... trying to decide what I wanted to eat?"  
  
"OH! THAT MAKES SENSE!" Papyrus grinned. "MAYBE I COULD RECOMMEND SOMETHING TO YOU? I'VE TRIED ALL THE DISHES THIS RESTAURANT HAS TO OFFER, YOU KNOW!"  
  
"Oh, um. Sure. That sounds good. What do you recommend?"  
  
Getting a recommendation from Papyrus turned out to be harder than you predicted. There were apparently quite a few dishes he greatly enjoyed, and he had a tough time narrowing it down.  
  
Eventually, you settled on the fettuccine alfredo and he ordered some spaghetti alla carbonara.  
  
"SO? WHAT DO YOU THINK?" he asked eagerly.  
  
"Mm. It's pretty good," you said before taking another bite.  
  
"I KNEW YOU WOULD LIKE IT! I, THE GREAT PAPRUS, HAVE IMPECCABLE TASTE!" he beamed before digging into his own meal.  
  
You took the time to examine him more closely. He was wearing a strange armor-like getup with a white top and blue bottoms, each trimmed in gold. In addition to this, he was wearing a pair of boots, gloves, and a scarf, all in red. To be honest, it looked more like a Halloween costume than anything else, but you supposed that was kind of fitting given that he was a skeleton.  
  
The bones of his arms, legs, and part of his spine were exposed, and while biology was hardly your forte, to your mostly Hollywood-trained eye he looked pretty much like what you'd expect a skeleton to look like. His bones were solid and white, and held together by what you could only assume was some unseen magic.  
  
His face, though, was another story entirely. Although, in your limited experience, you had only ever seen him smiling, his face was surprisingly expressive. It was as if his skull was malleable, able to shift and move to form various expressions, but without losing that solid appearance the rest of his bones had. You took another bite of your food as you continued to observe the subtle shifts and movements of his face as he ate.  
  
_"I wonder where all that spaghetti goes..."_ you pondered to yourself. _"Is it falling out the bottom of his jaw behind that scarf and into the armor top? No, that can't be it. He says he can taste it, and he doesn't seem to have a tongue. I'm sure he can digest it without organs... right?"_  
  
The mental image of all that spaghetti just resting messily inside his rib cage somewhere behind that armor was enough to let a chuckle slip past you. This caught Papyrus' attention.  
  
"IS SOMETHING FUNNY, HUMAN?"  
  
Papyrus seemed genuinely curious, and you blushed mildly in embarrassment. You couldn't tell him you were laughing at him because the idea of a skeleton eating food is bizarre to you, but you had to tell him something or things would just get more awkward. That's when you spotted your out.  
  
"You, uh, must be really enjoying that spaghetti. You wear it well." you said, tapping your chin.  
  
"NYEH?"  
  
Papyrus grabbed a napkin and dabbed it on his chin, glancing at the sauce he had wiped away onto it.  
  
"I GUESS I DO! NYEH HEH HEH..."  
  
You looked on curiously as he glanced to the side sheepishly and a smattering of color appeared on his cheekbones.  
  
_"Is he... blushing? Do skeleton monsters actually blush? It's... actually kind of adorable."_  
  
There was just so much you didn't understand about monsters. Your musings were interrupted again as he turned back to you.  
  
"I AM GLAD I GOT TO SEE YOU AGAIN TODAY. I WAS WORRIED I HAD OFFENDED YOU."  
  
"What? Offended me??"  
  
Here you were, the insecure jerk who had been avoiding him, and he was worried because he thought he had offended you somehow. You felt even more guilty about the whole thing.  
  
"NYEH... I REALIZED AFTERWARDS THAT, WHILE MY SPAGHETTI EXPERTISE IS UNPARALLELED AND FASCINATING, I DOMINATED THE ENTIRE CONVERSATION THE LAST TIME WE MET, BARELY ALLOWING YOU TO SPEAK. I SINCERELY APOLOGIZE FOR THAT, HUMAN."  
  
"No... No, it's alright! I wasn't offended at all! In truth, I'm a bit awkward around new people and it was nice to have you leading the conversation. I mean, I don't really have a lot to talk about. I'm just not that interesting..." you trailed off self-consciously.  
  
"THAT'S NOT TRUE, HUMAN! I MAY BARELY KNOW YOU, BUT I CAN ALREADY TELL THAT YOU ARE A GOOD AND INTERESTING PERSON!" Papyrus stated with utmost confidence.  
  
You smiled shyly. Logically, you knew he had nothing to base that sentiment on, but it still made you feel better. It was nice to have someone believe in you so unconditionally. Papyrus' grin grew wider when he spotted your smile.  
  
"NYEH HEH. SO WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT YOURSELF, HUMAN?"  
  
Papyrus watched you eagerly. You decided to start off with the basics. Where you grew up, your family and siblings, what you studied in college, and how you'd recently moves to Ebott to start a new job.  
  
The entire time, Papyrus paid rapt attention, occasionally adding his own comments. When you told him about your older brother, Peter, and how you two squabbled a lot as kids but had grown into playful, loving teasing, he told you about his brother.  
  
"MY BROTHER, SANS, CAN ALSO BE A PAIN! HE LIKES TO PRANK PEOPLE ACROSS TIME AND SPACE, WHEN HE'S NOT BUSY BEING A LAZYBONES, THAT IS! IT MUST BE AN OLDER BROTHER THING."  
  
He marveled at your description of college life, and nodded along sagely as you described your experiences in retail.  
  
"I mean, it was kind of embarrassing, always being asked why I was there when I had a degree, but I also think it was a valuable experience. I met lots of good people there, and it gave me an appreciation for what retail workers have to deal with. I'm far more aware of how I treat employees when I'm a customer now, because I don't want to be the kind of jerk that we always used to complain about in the break room."  
  
When you mentioned your new job at MEET, Papyrus became contemplative.  
  
"MOUNT EBOTT ENTREPRENEURIAL TECHNOLOGIES? THAT SOUNDS FAMILIAR... THAT'S WHERE ALPHYS WORKS... I THINK?"  
  
"Alphys?"  
  
"SHE IS UNDYNE'S GIRLFRIEND. SHE IS VERY SMART, BUT ALWAYS GETS SIDETRACKED BY THOSE CARTOONS SHE WATCHES."  
  
You looked at him, still confused. Undyne? Cartoons? You really didn't know what he was talking about.  
  
"NYEH! I WILL HAVE TO ASK UNDYNE NEXT TIME I SEE HER!" he paused and looked a little nervous "I WOULD SIMPLY TEXT HER NOW, BUT SHE THREATENED TO SUPPLEX ME THE NEXT TIME I CONTACTED HER WHILE SHE WAS BUSY AT WORK..."  
  
You weren't sure who or what kind of being was capable of supplexing the large skeleton, and you weren't terribly eager to find out. You glanced at the clock on the wall.  
  
"SHIT! I'm late!" you exclaimed, jumping up.  
  
"LANGUAGE, HUMAN!" Papyrus admonished.  
  
"S-sorry... I really need to go! My lunch break ended five minutes ago!" you scrabbled for your wallet and realized you weren't sure exactly how much you owed for lunch.  
  
"Sh-" you caught yourself "-oot... I need to get the check so I can pay..."  
  
"DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT, HUMAN. I WILL PAY FOR IT."  
  
"W-what? No! I can't let you do that! It wouldn't be right!"  
  
"NYEH! IF IT MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER, YOU CAN PAY FOR BOTH OF US DURING TOMORROW'S LUNCH!"  
  
"T-tomorrow?"  
  
He wanted to have lunch with you again tomorrow?  
  
"OF COURSE!" he smiled at you.  
  
"S-sure! That sounds good! I will see you tomorrow, then!" you smiled, relieved.  
  
"UNTIL TOMORROW, HUMAN!"  
  
With that you ran out the door and rushed back to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader and Papyrus are starting to get to know each other better! I may post the next chapter tonight or tomorrow, since these early ones are fairly short. 
> 
> I actually wrote another 2 chapters this weekend, and they're more than twice as long as these early ones. I'm still double-checking the chapters I have for spelling and consistency. (At one point I realized I'd switched from past tense to present tense, and it was pretty awkward, but at least I caught it.) 
> 
> I hope you guys are enjoying this so far. I promise you, after a bit more fluff, you'll be in for a ride! :P


	5. Wake-Up Call

As promised, you met up with Papyrus at Marco's the next day and bought him lunch. Then, the day after that, and the day after that. With each visit, your anxiousness diminished, and you started looking forward to seeing him. You'd even managed to stop jumping out of your skin when he surprised you with his extra loud greetings. Papyrus was a genuinely sweet guy. His ranting about his greatness had seemed almost arrogant at first, but it was becoming clearer and clearer that Papyrus' modus operandi was seeing the potential for greatness in everyone, including himself.

That's not to say that he didn't have his flaws...  
  
"...AND THEN HE MOVED THE SOCK **BACK** TO THE LIVING ROOM! I WAS BEGINNING TO WORRY WE WOULD RUN OUT OF STICKY NOTES!"  
  
You covered your mouth and tried to suppress your laughter at Papyrus' story about his brother. It was clear his brother had been trying to drive him crazy, and had succeeded. Papyrus noticed your barely suppressed laughter, and began to chuckle along with you.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH... IN HINDSIGHT, IT WAS A PRETTY GOOD PRANK."  
  
"Ha ha ha. It sounds like you and your brother get along pretty well to be able to joke around like that."  
  
"YES! AS EXASPERATING AS SANS CAN BE AT TIMES, HE IS A GOOD BROTHER. HE'S ALSO LUCKY TO HAVE SUCH A COOL GUY LIKE ME LOOKING OUT FOR HIM!"  
  
You grinned as Papyrus puffed out his chest proudly.  
  
"Oh, undoubtedly!"  
  
It was at that moment that your phone alarm went off, signaling that it was almost time for you to leave.  
  
"Ah, looks like it's about time to go..."  
  
"I WILL SEE YOU TOMORROW, THAN!"  
  
You paused briefly.  
  
"Papyrus, today's Friday. I don't have work tomorrow."  
  
"NYEH? OH, GOOD! THAN WE WILL HAVE ALL DAY TO CHAT AND ENJOY PASTA!"  
  
"Er... while I don't object to spending time hanging out with you tomorrow, perhaps we could do something besides eat Italian? It's been three days already, and I'm getting just a little bit tired of it..."  
  
Papyrus looked downright scandalized.  
  
"YOU... DON'T LIKE TO EAT SPAGHETTI EVERY DAY?"  
  
"Uh... no? I mean, I love pasta, don't get me wrong! But I, like most other people, like to, uh, mix things up? You know, eat a variety of different foods?"  
  
You stumbled over your words trying to explain things to Papyrus. He sat there with a stunned look on his face for another moment before seeming to snap out of it.  
  
"I THOUGHT THAT WAS JUST MY BROTHER BEING WEIRD! I'M SORRY, HUMAN! I SHOULDN'T HAVE ASSUMED!"  
  
"It's alright! Really! No big deal!"  
  
You were relieved to see Papyrus returning to his usual self.  
  
"IF YOU WANT TO HANG OUT SOMEWHERE ELSE TOMORROW, THAN MAYBE YOU'D LIKE TO COME OVER TO MY HOUSE! I COULD SHOW YOU MY COOL ACTION FIGURE COLLECTION, AND YOU COULD MEET MY BROTHER!" Papyrus suggested eagerly.  
  
Now it was your turn to be stunned. Your brain immediately reminded you that Papyrus was a monster... and that his brother would be a monster... and that, as monsters, they probably lived somewhere in Monstertown... surrounded by other monsters.  
  
Nope, nope, nope, a thousand times nope. There was no way you were ready to plunge into the deep end like that. But how were you suppose to steer him away from that idea without letting on about your phobia? You had to think of some sort of alternative...  
  
"That... That's not going to work. I'm, uh, expecting a call sometime tomorrow. Could happen at any time, and I REALLY need to be home to take it... but you're more than welcome to come over and hang out with me while I wait!"  
  
You felt bad about the lie, but what was one little white lie in the face of maintaining your blossoming new friendship? You just had to hold off until you got used to monsters. That's all. If the past few days were any indication, you were sure it wouldn't take you long... You hoped...  
  
"VERY WELL, HUMAN! WE WILL HANG OUT AT YOUR PLACE TOMORROW! THIS MAY BE FOR THE BEST, ANYWAY. MY BROTHER IS INCREDIBLY FOND OF TELLING THE ABSOLUTE WORST JOKES, AND I WOULDN'T WANT YOU TO GET THE WRONG IMPRESSION," he grimaced at the mention of his brother's jokes, and looked around shiftily. "HERE! LET ME GIVE YOU MY PHONE NUMBER SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT THE DETAILS LATER. IF YOU DON'T LEAVE SOON, YOU'LL BE LATE GETTING BACK TO WORK!"  
  
You handed Papyrus your cell phone so he could add his number, while you entered yours into his. After that was done, you split the bill and went your separate ways.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Your Saturday started off pretty early. Your phone started going off promptly at 7AM. Your sleep-addled mind, unsure of the time and not realizing that the noise was from your phone, immediately switched to panic mode.  
  
_"Whaz goin' on?! Wha time...? Alarm? SHIT! WORK!"_  
  
You stumbled out of bed, briefly cursing yourself for staying up so late reading fan fiction, when your brain finally caught up.  
  
_"Wait... I only stayed up THAT late because I have the day off..."_  
  
You picked up your phone, which was still ringing, and glanced at the caller ID to see who dared call you at this ungodly hour.  
  
You didn't recognize the number. You hit the button to ignore the call and send it to voicemail. It was probably some automated call or some crap. You huffed and curled back under the covers, determined to go back to sleep.  
  
A few minutes later, your phone rang again. It was the same number. Again, you ignored it and let it go to voice mail.  
  
Then it rang again.  
  
And again.  
  
And again.  
  
Until finally, after 20 minutes of this, you hit answer and snapped into the phone.  
  
"What?!"  
  
There was a brief pause on the other side before a drawling baritone voice responded.  
  
"knock knock."  
  
You pulled the phone away from your ear and just stared in disbelief at the number you were now connected to.  
  
_"What... the fuck?"_  
  
After another few moments of stunned silence, the voice spoke up again.  
  
"this is the part where you say, 'who's there?'"  
  
"...Who's there?" you responded as prompted, still feeling utterly bewildered.  
  
"déjà"  
  
"Déjà who?"  
  
"knock knock"  
  
A brief snort of exhausted, exasperated laughter escaped as the joke hit you.  
  
"knock knock."  
  
"Who's there?"  
  
"mavis."  
  
"Mavis who?"  
  
"mavis be a warning to you, watch out for silly jokes!"  
  
You chuckled. You could practically hear the grin in his voice with the next joke.  
  
"how do skeletons call their friends?"  
  
"I don't know. How?"  
  
"on the tele **bone**."  
  
You groaned at the terrible pun, trying to resist the smile tugging at your lips.  
  
"Ugh! That was TERRIBLE!"  
  
The voice on the other end chuckled. Before the stranger could say another joke, though, you heard an oddly familiar shouting in the background.  
  
"SANS! HAVE YOU SEEN MY CELLPHONE? I CAN'T FIND IT ANYWHERE! I HOPE THAT ANNOYING DOG HASN'T TAKEN TO STEALING PHONES IN ADDITION TO MY SPECIAL ATTACKS!"  
  
"don't worry bro, i'll help you look for it," the voice then returned to addressing you. "sorry, but i gotta go, pal. it was nice havin' some early mornin' laughs with ya."  
  
Then, before you could inquire further, the call was disconnected.  
  
"That was... the weirdest experience I've ever had in my life..."  
  
You checked your voice mail, and weren't terribly surprised to find at least a dozen messages filled with more knock knock jokes and puns. (With appropriate pauses for you to mentally supply the proper responses.)  
  
After you'd finished listening to them, your phone began ringing once again. This time, your phone lit up with the name 'THE GREAT PAPYRUS'. You answered the call.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"GOOD MORNING, HUMAN! IT IS I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS! I APPOLOGIZE FOR NOT CALLING YOU SOONER, BUT I SOMEHOW MANAGED TO MISPLACE MY PHONE. THANKFULLY, MY BROTHER, SANS, MANAGED TO FIND IT! ALTHOUGH I'M STILL NOT SURE WHAT HE WAS DOING UP AT THIS HOUR... HE'S NORMALLY SUCH A LAZYBONES..."  
  
"I think I know why..."  
  
"OH?"  
  
"Yeah... Before you called, I heard you in the background of a weird phone call I got... A phone call where the caller kept telling me jokes."  
  
"OH, NO! HE DIDN'T?!"  
  
"Hah... He also left quite a few jokes and puns on my voice mail before I finally answered. A lot of them were about skeletons."  
  
" **SANS!!!!** "  
  
You jerked your head away from the phone as Papyrus shouted off into the house. You heard stomping feet and some loud knocking as Papyrus went to confront his brother with you still on the line. Sans was a little tough to hear, but everything Papyrus said was loud and clear.  
  
"I KNOW YOU'RE AWAKE, SANS!"  
  
"nope. i'm totally asleep again."  
  
"SANS! YOU CAN'T JUST STEAL MY PHONE AND CALL MY FRIENDS AT 7 IN THE MORNING TO TELL THEM AWFUL JOKES!"  
  
You heard giggling.  
  
"SANS!" Papyrus admonished.  
  
"sorry, bro. you're right. i shouldn't've done that. after all, she sounded **bone** tired when she answered."  
  
"AUGH! YOU'RE UNBELIEVABLE, SANS!"  
  
"you're smiling."  
  
"I'M SMILING AND I HATE IT!"  
  
"anyway, i'm heading back to bed. night, bro."  
  
"IT'S **MORNING** , SANS! .... UGH."  
  
Papyrus finally returned his attention to the phone. You were desperately trying to contain your amusement at their antics.  
  
"I'M SORRY ABOUT MY BROTHER, HUMAN. HE'S ABSOLUTELY INCORRIGIBLE WHEN IT COMES TO HIS JOKES."  
  
"That's alright Papyrus. I can think of worse ways to be woken up."  
  
"WOKEN UP? WERE YOU STILL SLEEPING, HUMAN?"  
  
"Er... yeah. I had a pretty late night... I was planning on sleeping in a bit today..."  
  
"AH, I SEE..."  
  
Papyrus seemed to ponder this. You were half surprised he didn't scold you for wanting to sleep in, like his brother.  
  
"SINCE YOU ARE CLEARLY NOT READY TO HANG OUT YET, WHAT TIME SHOULD I COME OVER?"  
  
"Uh... how about noon? We can make lunch, and then watch movies or play video games or something."  
  
"VERY WELL! I WILL BE THERE AT PRECISELY NOON! SLEEP WELL, HUMAN!"  
  
You bid your farewells, and collapsed back into bed. Not even 8 AM, and your day was already crazy. You dozed off again, wondering just how much weirder your life could get.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fun chapter to write. Honestly? I hadn't intended for Reader to talk to Sans yet. This was just going to go straight into the weekend hang-out with Papyrus, but when I wrote the part about Reader being woken up by the phone, it just seemed too obvious that it would be morning-person Papyrus being over-eager as usual. So, I thought, "Who else might call Reader that early in the morning?" And that's when Sans stepped in to try and subtly gauge the type of person his beloved brother's been spending time with, naturally in the most obnoxious way possible. :P


	6. Sexy Rectangles and Everybody Poops (Except Monsters)

You managed to get a few more hours sleep before reluctantly dragging yourself out of bed to get ready for Papyrus' visit. You took a quick shower, which was only partially set back when Cleo began rubbing against your wet legs, covering you in cat fur.  
  
"Cleo! Stop that! Cats aren't even suppose to LIKE water! Why are you so weird?!"  
  
Cleo seemed unperturbed by your accusations, and sauntered soggily out of the bathroom to find a patch of sunlight to sleep in.  
  
A couple extra minutes were spent de-furring your legs before finishing getting dressed.  
  
You then double-checked the things you'd prepared last night for Papyrus' visit.  
  
"Game consoles and games? Check. A selection of movies he might like? Check. Cards and other games? Check. Guess all that's left to worry about is the food."  
  
You wandered into the kitchen and looked over what you had for food. You had stopped by the grocery store last night, but had realized that you really had no idea what Papyrus liked to eat besides pasta. You eventually settled on something simple. A variety of sandwich fillers, snacks and chips, some different drinks, etc. If worse came to worse and he was a super-picky eater, you had some pasta and sauce you could cook, but you really needed a break from that, personally.  
  
Finally, you busied yourself cleaning up a bit. Not that things looked bad from your perspective, but it was something to do to keep you occupied.  
  
Soon, there was a loud knock at your door. You glanced at the clock and saw that it was 12 o'clock on the dot. You opened the door and smiled at the grinning skeleton on the other side.  
  
"You weren't kidding about being here precisely at noon! It's almost like you were out here waiting to knock!" you joked.  
  
Color stained Papyrus' cheek bones, and a surprised, somewhat embarrassed look crossed his face.  
  
"HOW DID YOU KNOW?!"  
  
You looked at Papyrus slightly stunned.  
  
"Papyrus... How long were you waiting out here?"  
  
"...ABOUT 20 MINUTES? GIVE OR TAKE..."  
  
"Why didn't you just knock before?!"  
  
"I SAID I WOULD BE HERE AT NOON, AND I AM A SKELETON OF MY WORD!" he replied proudly.  
  
"I... appreciate that, Papyrus, but next time you get here a bit early, you can just knock. I feel kind of bad having you standing outside my door for so long..."  
  
"I AM SORRY, HUMAN! I DID NOT MEAN TO MAKE YOU FEEL BAD!"  
  
"I'm alright, Papyrus. You don't need to worry so much about those things." you smiled at him, then realized you were both still standing in the doorway.  
  
"Er... Did you want to come in?"  
  
"YES, PLEASE! I WAS BEGINNING TO WORRY THAT OUR HANGOUT WOULD BE SPENT ENTIRELY IN YOUR DOORWAY!"  
  
You choked out an embarrassed laugh as Papyrus strode inside, taking in your apartment. There wasn't much to it, really. A living room, a kitchen with a half-wall overlooking a small space you'd set up as the dining area, your bedroom and bathroom, a "guest bedroom" which currently served as storage space, and a few closets scattered about. Honestly, it was probably more than you really needed, but it was nice.  
  
"YOU HAVE A NICE PLACE!"  
  
"Thanks... Why don't you make yourself comfortable? Would you like something to drink?"  
  
"DO YOU HAVE ANY MILK?"  
  
"Looking to keep your bones strong, huh?" you joked.  
  
"OF COURSE! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM THE PICTURE OF STRONG BONES, AND I INTEND TO KEEP IT THAT WAY!" he flexed, and you chuckled.  
  
"Milk it is, then!"  
  
You entered the nearby kitchen as Papyrus settled down on the couch. You prepared drinks for both of you, and grabbed a package of cookies as well before bringing them back out to the living room.  
  
"Here you go! One glass of milk!"  
  
"THANK YOU! .... ARE THOSE COOKIES?"  
  
"Yeah. I figured they'd go well with the milk."  
  
Papyrus gave you a stern look, although it was half-ruined by his ever-present smile.  
  
"COOKIES ARE NOT A LUNCH-TIME FOOD, HUMAN."  
  
"Think of them as more of... an appetizer?"  
  
He didn't look convinced.  
  
"Anyway, I bought stuff to make sandwiches. What do you like?"  
  
"HMM... DO YOU HAVE PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY? I HAVE HEARD THAT IT'S GOOD, BUT I HAVE NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRY IT. IF NOT, ANYTHING IS FINE. I AM NOT PICKY."  
  
"Ah, a classic! One PB&J it is!"  
  
You returned to the kitchen and prepared the sandwiches. You decided to bring out the chips and fruit platter you purchased to supplement it.  
  
When you returned, you noticed cookie crumbs sticking to the milk around Papyrus' teeth.  
  
"So much for cookies not being an appropriate lunch-time food." you teased, and handed him a napkin.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH..." Papyrus nyeh'd sheepishly, blushing slightly, and wiping away the crumbs.  
  
It wasn't long before you were both digging in and chatting about what you'd like to do for the day.  
  
"I was thinking we could watch some movies or play some video games. I don't really know what you'd like, though..."  
  
"THAT SOUNDS GOOD! I ALSO BROUGHT OVER A FEW MOVIES!"  
  
Papyrus whipped out a selection of DVDs from seemingly nowhere. They mostly seemed to feature the robot star, Mettaton.  
  
"Cool. I don't think I've ever seen a Mettaton movie before."  
  
You were cut off by a sudden gasp.  
  
"N-NEVER SEEN... A METTATON MOVIE?? HUMAN! THIS IS A GRAVE INJUSTICE THAT MUST BE CORRECTED AT ONCE!" he declared.  
  
"Haha! Sure, why not? Do you have one you want to recommend?"  
  
Much like his pasta recommendations, this took a while. Finally, he settled on starting with Mettaton's latest movie, which had been made on the surface and only released just recently.  
  
The movie wasn't too bad at all. Some of the writing was a little hokey, but it mostly added a comedic twist to it. And Mettaton himself had a certain charm about him: his flare for the dramatic made even the duller scenes more interesting.  
  
You glanced over to see Papyrus leaning forward, utterly fixated on the movie, his eye sockets seeming to sparkle. The current scene featured Mettaton in his box form, waxing poetic about his sorrow over his love interest who had just fallen over a cliff, presumably to her doom. The scene might have been sad and touching if it weren't for the flamboyantly dramatic way Mettaton was reclining on a couch, near the cliff, in the middle of the forest, with rose petals cascading down all around him. It was so ludicrous it was actually pretty funny.  
  
Your positive reception of the first movie spurred Papyrus to suggest others. Honestly? It was a mix bag. Some of them were good, some of them were bad, and some of them were so bad they were good. You had to cut things short when Papyrus informed you that Mettaton the Movie XXVIII did, in fact, consist mostly of a single four-hour shot of rose petals showering Mettaton's reclining body.  
  
"As... er... fascinating as that sounds, why don't we do something else for a while?" you suggested.  
  
"HMM... I SUPPOSE SO. WE'LL JUST HAVE TO SAVE THIS ONE FOR ANOTHER TIME!"  
  
"Oh, goody..."  
  
"SO, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO NEXT?"  
  
"Well, first I'd like to take a bathroom break."  
  
"OH. YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE A SHOWER?"  
  
"What? No. I showered earlier. I just need to use the toilet."  
  
"OOOH..."  
  
You stood up.  
  
"WHAT'S A TOILET?"  
  
You face-palmed.  
  
"Don't monsters pee?"  
  
Papyrus stared at you, confused.  
  
_"Ah, right. He's a skeleton. How would he pee?"_ you reminded yourself.  
  
"Erm... I don't know how it works for monsters, but human bodies produce, er, liquid and solid waste as we process food. We get rid of that waste in a toilet."  
  
"THAT SOUNDS... GROSS."  
  
"Haha. Yeah, it is. There's a lot of rules about cleanliness to keep that grossness to a minimum. Unfortunately, not everyone follows those rules... especially in public restrooms..." you shudder at some of the horrible memories from your retail days.  
  
"WOULDN'T IT BE EASIER TO JUST CONVERT YOUR FOOD STRAIGHT INTO ENERGY LIKE MONSTERS DO? I MEAN, HUMAN FOOD IS HARDER TO CONVERT THAN MONSTER FOOD, SINCE IT'S NOT MADE WITH MAGIC, BUT I'M STILL ABLE TO EAT IT WITHOUT PICKING UP ANY GROSS HABITS."  
  
"I wish it were that simple. While I can't say for certain how monster food would be, the human digestive system just doesn't work that way with human food. Anyway, if you don't mind, I REALLY need to pee."  
  
Papyrus nodded and you rushed off to the bathroom to relieve yourself. It was as you were drying off your hands that you heard a distinctive hiss.  
  
You exited the bathroom to find that Cleo had woken from her nap and discovered Papyrus.  
  
"HUMAN! I THINK YOUR PET IS BROKEN! IT KEEPS MAKING A HISSING SOUND LIKE IT'S LEAKING AIR!"  
  
"I-sorry, Papyrus! Cleo hisses when she's upset, and she's a scaredy cat, so she's ALWAYS upset by anything new." you gave him an apologetic look.  
  
Papyrus, realizing that he was the source of Cleo's anxiety, knelt down near her and began to extend his hand towards her in a gentle gesture.  
  
"Papyrus, I wouldn't-"  
  
"I AM SORRY TO HAVE UPSET YOU, MISS CLEO. PERHAPS YOU AND I COULD BE FR-"  
  
As soon as Papyrus extended his hand, Cleo hissed loudly, swatted at his extended hand, and fled. Papyrus, for his part, jerked his hand back in surprise, and looked a little hurt that he'd been rejected.  
  
"Shoot! I'm so sorry, Papyrus... I tried to warn you... Cleo takes a long time to warm up to people. Heck, I've had her for 13 years and she STILL gives me attitude sometimes. It's nothing against you, personally. She does it with everyone. I swear, once she gets to know you, she's a good cat..."  
  
You felt really bad. Papyrus was such a sweetheart, but Cleo didn't understand that. Papyrus turned back to you and gave you a small smile.  
  
"IT'S ALRIGHT, HUMAN. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH BEING SHY... AND GRUMPY... AND SWATTY..." he looked around shiftily before refocusing his attention on you, "I WILL JUST HAVE TO WORK EXTRA HARD TO EARN CLEO'S FRIENDSHIP!"  
  
"I'm sure she'll come around," you smiled at him.  
  
Cleo opted to spend the rest of the day hiding in the bedroom from the stranger, while you and Papyrus loaded up some video games. The two of you chatted, and laughed, and had a great time into the evening before Papyrus finally decided that he should help you clean up, and then get home.  
  
"I HAD A GREAT TIME TODAY! WE SHOULD DO THIS EVERY WEEK!"  
  
"Sounds good to me. It was a lot of fun!" you beamed.  
  
"IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT YOU NEVER GOT THAT PHONE CALL YOU WERE WAITING FOR."  
  
"Phone call?" you wracked your brain and remembered your excuse from the day before. "Oh! Um... Right. The important phone call."  
  
"IT IS QUITE RUDE TO TELL SOMEONE YOU WILL CALL AND THEN NEVER DO IT."  
  
"Oh, yes... Very rude. I'll... have to call them and complain."  
  
Papyrus nodded sagely.  
  
"WELL, I SHOULD GET HOME BEFORE MY BROTHER STARTS TO WORRY. GOODNIGHT, HUMAN!"  
  
"'Night, Papyrus."  
  
You closed the door behind Papyrus as he left and let out a breath you hadn't realized you'd been holding.  
  
"Well, that last bit was a little awkward, but overall it was a good day," you smiled as Cleo peaked her head out to see if he'd really gone.  
  
"I almost can't wait for next weekend, so that we can hang out again. What do you think, Cleo?"  
  
Cleo sniffed the couch where Papyrus had been sitting and gave it an insulted look.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Someone new, how terrible. But, you know what? I think he's going to be good for the both of us, so you'll just have to deal with it."  
  
You grinned and gave Cleo a quick pat before heading off to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are a lot of things about humans that Papyrus doesn't know about... And a lot of things he'd probably prefer if he hadn't just learned about it. ;)


	7. A Walk in the Park

Things were going well between you and Papyrus. You met for lunch two or three times a week, and made Saturdays your hang-out day. You learned about his love of puzzles and japes, bedtime stories and flashy cars... He told you stories about his brother, Sans, and his friends such as Undyne, Alphys, Frisk, and the King, Asgore.  
  
"Wait... you're friends with the King of all Monsters?"  
  
"YES! HE LIKES TO WALK AROUND AND TALK TO HIS CITIZENS! HONESTLY, HE'S A BIG, LOVABLE, FUZZY PUSHOVER!" Papyrus grinned, adjusting his apron and chef's hat.  
  
It was Saturday, and Papyrus had insisted that you two cook lunch together as a way to "STRENGTHEN OUR BONDS OF FRIENDSHIP!" as he put it. He'd claimed that it worked wonders with himself and Undyne, and had even managed to help her and Frisk to become friends.  
  
Frisk had become well known for being able to befriend just about anyone. The kid's unusual charm made them an ideal ambassador for monsters. You joked that everyone wanted to be the kid's friend upon meeting them, and were surprised at the rather shifty response you got from Papyrus. When you tried to question him on it, he very quickly (and very loudly) changed the topic, so you let it drop.  
  
Now you two were squeezed into your small kitchen, preparing to make soup. Papyrus had tried to convince you that home-made spaghetti was the key to optimum friendship improvement, but you finally won him over by telling him how he could impress Undyne with his expanded cooking repertoire.  
  
The broth was heating while you chopped up some vegetables and Papyrus examined the spices and decided what would be best to add to the mix. You prayed he stuck to the recipe in the nearby cookbook, but knew him well enough by now to know that was unlikely.  
  
You examined the tall skeleton from the corner of your eye. He wasn't wearing his 'battle body' today, having opted to wear shorts and a Mettaton t-shirt that... featured a pair of legs? He still wore his gloves and scarf, though. In addition, he'd donned a chef's hat and an orange apron that said "Bone to Cook!" and featured a pot with a soup bone sticking out the top. It had apparently been a gift from Sans, and while he wasn't impressed with the pun, Papyrus appreciated the thought that had gone into the gift.  
  
After adding a dash of one spice, thyme you think, Papyrus returned the container to the spice rack, brought his hand to his chin, and considered the spices pensively. You'd never seen him look so serious and focused before. If you were being totally honest, the whole situation made him look kind of cute...  
  
You choked a bit as the thought hit you, your cheeks growing warm.  
  
_"Cute? I know I haven't had a date in a while, but did I really just think of a skeleton as **cute?** "_  
  
You were so distracted by your thoughts that you weren't paying enough attention to what you were doing.  
  
"YOWCH!" you yelped, as the blade you were using sliced into the side of your finger.  
  
Blood immediately began to swell up and drip down your hand.  
  
"Shit!" you grabbed for a nearby paper towel.  
  
"HUMAN! ARE YOU ALRIGHT??" Papyrus' normal scolding for your occasional bad language was completely tossed aside as worry tinged his voice.  
  
"I-I'm alright, I think. Just cut myself a bit..."  
  
You peeled the blood-tinged paper towel away to examine the wound. It was a little long, but not deep. You'd be fine, you concluded. You didn't notice Papyrus reach out until your injured hand was cradled in his own and raised higher as he leaned over to examine the injury closely. You couldn't stop the blush that stained your cheeks, your earlier thoughts returning. You sobered up pretty quickly, though, when you noticed the worry tingeing his features.  
  
"Y-YOU'RE LEAKING!"  
  
"It's called bleeding, Paps. It can happen when a human gets hurt."  
  
"OH, NO! WILL YOU BE ALRIGHT? HOW DO WE STOP IT FROM LEAKING?"  
  
"I'll be fine. This is normal. Humans have to lose a LOT of blood for it to be dangerous. And, look! The bleeding's already slowing down. Nothing to worry about."  
  
Indeed, the wound had already begun to clot. A look of relief made its way across Papyrus' features as he saw what you said was true.  
  
"I should... I should probably get this cleaned up and bandaged so it doesn't get infected," you gently tried to pull your hand from his, but his grip tightened.  
  
"I WILL HELP."  
  
Papyrus pulled you along behind him as he made his way to your bathroom. Once inside, he looked a little lost, though.  
  
"I... I'M NOT SURE WHAT TO DO. WHENEVER FRISK IS OVER AND THEY GET HURT, SANS IS THE ONE TO TAKE THEM TO THE BATHROOM TO FIX IT," he admitted nervously.  
  
You told Papyrus where your first-aid kit was, and guided him through helping clean and dress your cut. During the process, he removed his blood-stained gloves, and you couldn't help but stare at the bones in his hands as he followed your instructions. It was the first time you'd ever seen him without gloves on, and their movements as he worked was fascinating. He was also being incredibly gentle as knelt in front of you, lightly dabbing at and dressing your cut.  
  
Your face turned beet red when, after he finished, he brought your hand up and tenderly pressed his teeth to the bandage.  
  
"W-what are you doing?!"  
  
"FRISK ONCE TOLD ME THAT IT MAKES THEIR INJURY FEEL BETTER WHEN SOMEONE KISSES IT. I... I KNOW I DON'T HAVE LIPS, BUT I HOPE THIS WILL SUFFICE."  
  
You nodded at him, still flushed and stunned. He smiled back at you, happy to be able to help. The two of you sat there like that in silence for a few moments before the sound of broth boiling over onto the burner caught your attention.  
  
"Shit! The soup!" you rushed off to check on it.  
  
"THAT IS TWO QUARTERS YOU OWE THE SWEAR JAR NOW, HUMAN!" Papyrus called after you.  
  
In the end, the soup turned out absolutely terrible, and you wound up ordering a pizza. Barring that, though, it was a fun and eventful day.  
  
As you lay in bed that night, you lightly ran your fingers over your bandage and thought of Papyrus' behavior earlier. He really was a charmingly sweet cinnamon roll. You blushed and felt happiness well up inside you. You were still nervous of most monsters, and had been avoiding meeting any of Papyrus' other friends. It was time you started broadening your exposure to monsters. For him, you would face your fears.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Starting the very next day, you began interacting with more monsters. You switched the grocery store you went to from the one farthest from the monster district, to one a few blocks away from Monstertown. This meant there were more monsters both as customers and employees. You also started going for walks in a monster-friendly park, even bringing Papyrus there on picnics every once in a while. You and Papyrus cut down your visits to Marco's to once a week, and ate lunch at other locations you'd found online that were popular with both monsters and humans. You'd even gone to the beach once on one of your hang-out days!  
  
Papyrus would often times give you a confused look when a monster would startle you, but after you brushed off his question about it the first time, he stopped asking. Little by little, the exposure seemed to be helping. You got to see monsters smiling, and laughing... Working, playing, and just laying out enjoying the warmth of the sun.  
  
Some monsters began to take notice of you, and you built up a casual acquaintanceship with them. The cashier at the grocery store whose line you always went through, appreciated your politeness and understanding of what it was like to work in retail. She began to greet you with a smile. Then there were the human and monster children you'd see playing in the park on weekends. They had been quick to accept you after you and Papyrus had joined them in a game of frisbee, and now they'd wave and ask if you wanted to play when you passed by on your walks.  
  
It was... It was nice. You felt some unquantifiable relief at each person's acceptance. Although you had hoped with all your heart, you had never imagined that things would go so well.  
  
You just smiled and waved at the children enjoying their summer vacation as you continued on your walk.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
It had been four months since you'd first met Papyrus. Nearly two and a half since you'd started earnestly trying to get over your phobia. It was Saturday, and today you were having a picnic in the park, listening to music and feeding the ducks.  
  
You couldn't help but notice that Papyrus seemed a little distracted today. You'd had to repeat yourself several times already because he hadn't been paying attention, and he even managed to get hit in the face by the frisbee while playing with the kids. Given his athleticism and reflexes, that really worried you.  
  
He brushed off your attempts to ask him about it earlier, but the day was drawing to a close and you were becoming frustrated.  
  
"Papyrus..." you gave the tall skeleton a stern look.  
  
"Y-YES?" he refused to look you in the eye. You sighed.  
  
"Look, I KNOW something is bothering you; HAS been bothering you all day. I- I don't mean to pry if you don't want to talk about it, but you're making me worried..." you trailed off.  
  
"I DID NOT MEAN TO MAKE YOU WORRY, HUMAN. I JUST... I'M JUST NOT SURE HOW TO BRING IT UP..."  
  
You waited patiently as Papyrus considered his words.  
  
"I HAVE NOTICED THAT YOU ARE A VERY... SHY PERSON..."  
  
Your blood froze. H-had Papyrus noticed your phobia? Was he upset with you for your senseless fear?! But you were trying! You really were! And you had come so far already! Papyrus, still not looking at you, hesitated briefly before speaking again.  
  
"I KNOW YOU DON'T LIKE CROWDS OR STRANGERS, BUT THERE IS THIS FAIR THAT IS GOING TO BE HELD IN MONSTERTOWN IN A COUPLE WEEKS... IT'S A CELEBRATION OF OUR RETURN TO THE SURFACE AND THE ESTABLISHING OF MONSTERTOWN... I... I REALLY WANT YOU TO COME."  
  
You stared at Papyrus in shock. A fair? He was inviting you to a celebration? He thought you were just afraid of strangers and crowds in general, and he wasn't mad at you? He glanced at your face, and upon seeing your surprised expression, began to babble nervously.  
  
"O-OF COURSE, I WOULD BE WITH YOU THE WHOLE TIME! AND IF YOU WANTED TO LEAVE EARLY, I WOULDN'T MIND! I JUST... I JUST REALLY WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO SOME OF MY FRIENDS! I THINK, NO, I KNOW YOU'D LIKE THEM! IT WOULD BE REALLY FUN! But- but I understand if you think it'd be too much... " he trailed off, oddly quiet for Papyrus.  
  
You considered it. It was a celebration for monsters... in Monstertown... There'd be monsters everywhere... More than you'd encountered on your jaunts to the store or the park... The idea was... intimidating. You looked at Papyrus who nervously awaited your answer, unusually silent. He liked you enough that he spent time with you, even after realizing you'd been making excuses to avoid his other friends. He had been nothing but patient and caring with you, and here he was, hoping that maybe... just maybe, you'd be willing to step outside your comfort zone so that he could share the friendship he'd gained from you with his other friends as well.  
  
How could you say no?  
  
"I... Yes. I'd love to go."  
  
Papyrus' face lit up, happier than you'd ever seen it.  
  
"THANK YOU, _____! YOU WON'T REGRET IT! I PROMISE!"  
  
Papyrus scooped you up into a tight hug, completely lifting you off the ground and restricting your ability to breath. Despite that, your mind focused in on one thing.  
  
_"H-he said my name..."_  
  
You blushed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's starting to look like SOMEONE'S developing a little crush on a certain cheerful skeleton. ;)
> 
> Also, the name thing is a bit significant. In this work, Papyrus mostly tends to stick to nicknames except for those he's closest to or greatly respects. It's not that he doesn't remember their names, he has no trouble with that, it's just sort of an odd quirk of his. (He'll most likely refer to Toriel as either "The Queen" or "Frisk's Mom." ) So, he's been calling Reader "human" this entire time, and they probably stopped trying to correct him after the first couple times. Him using Reader's actual name shows just how excited and happy he is. 
> 
> As for the future? One can only hope that dear Reader will be able to keep a handle on her phobia in what will inevitably be a very crowded place. We wouldn't want anything _unfortunate_ to happen. ;)


	8. A Day at the Fair

The day of the first Monstertown Community Fair had arrived. After Papyrus had invited you, you had requested the week off from work, figuring you'd need the downtime afterwards. Thankfully, the request was approved since the Fair was occurring on a Saturday when most employees had the day off, so you were one of the few who had actually requested additional vacation time.  
  
You had gone to bed extremely early, which had turned out to be a wise decision, as you'd spent half the night tossing and turning. By the time your alarm was going off, you were only half-dead with exhaustion instead of fully dead.  
  
You stumbled through your morning ritual... Petting Cleo on the bed... Taking a shower... Removing wet cat fur from your legs... Getting Dressed... Petting Cleo as you entered the kitchen... Preparing breakfast... Petting Cleo some more as you forced food down your protesting throat...  
  
"You're such a needy cat!" you told her as you dumped your dishes in the sink.  
  
Cleo just stared at you and continued following you around the house. She wasn't even trying to pretend to be aloof, today. Maybe she sensed your nervousness and was trying to help calm you the only way she knew how? With that thought, you ceased the pacing you'd taken up while waiting for Papyrus to arrive.  
  
Cleo sat down right in front of you and meowed. Her signal for 'pick me up and cuddle me.'  
  
You complied. With Cleo settled across your shoulder, quietly purring away, you finally began to relax a little.  
  
"No matter what happens, you've always got my back, don't you, Cleo?"  
  
You stood there, slowly relaxing as you stroked Cleo's fur and rested your ear against her side to allow her purring to lull your anxiety away. Your clean clothes would be covered in cat fur afterwards, but that's what lint brushes were for, right?  
  
It wasn't much longer before there was a hearty knock at your door. You opened it up and smiled lightly at Papyrus, who seemed as excited as a kid on their way to Disney World.  
  
"GOOD MORNING, HUMAN! ARE YOU READY TO GO?"  
  
"Yeah. I think so."  
  
Papyrus looked down at Cleo, who was still perched on your shoulder. She no longer avoided being in the same room as Papyrus, but she'd never allowed him to get this close without hissing and running away.  
  
Papyrus looked to you, practically vibrating with hope and nervousness. He raised his hand in silent question, waiting for you to give your consent.  
  
Understanding crossed your features, and you scratched Cleo behind the ears just the way she liked before nodding to Papyrus.  
  
He slowly, quietly reached his hand up and scratched between her shoulder blades, just as he'd seen you do dozens of times before. Cleo tensed a bit, torn between having a stranger so close, and wanting to relax into the touch.  
  
A few seconds later she decided she'd had enough, growled slightly, and jumped down to saunter away. Not run, like she usually did when Papyrus got too close. Papyrus was beaming.  
  
"SHE LET ME PET HER!"  
  
"Yes, she did! You see, Paps? I told you she'd start to warm up to you eventually."  
  
It was a small victory, but a victory none-the-less. Spirits buoyed, the two of you headed off to the Fair.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Papyrus pulled his red convertible into a space in a parking lot that had been designated for the Fair, since the business that owned it was closed for the event. You opened the door and staggered out.  
  
"ARE YOU ALRIGHT, HUMAN?"  
  
"I'll let you know once I find my stomach... I think I lost it somewhere on the way..."  
  
"HUMANS CAN LOSE THEIR STOMACHS?!" he peered at your abdomen, worriedly.  
  
"Urk... It's an expression, Papyrus. I just need a few minutes to let the rush of your... driving prowess... fade..."  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH! I LEARNED ONLY FROM THE BEST! UNDYNE SAYS TO GIVE 200% FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO, BECAUSE GIVING 110% IS FOR WEENIES!" he stated proudly.  
  
Well, that explained why he was going twice the speed limit...  
  
Once your head stopped spinning and you felt you were no longer going to become reacquainted with your breakfast, Papyrus lead you to the fairgrounds where the celebration was occurring.  
  
You tried to stick close to Papyrus as the crowd started to grow thicker. Even this early in the morning, there were a lot of people enjoying the festivities. You were also a bit surprised at just how many of the visitors, and even those running the stalls, were human. Many of them chatting up monsters with open familiarity.  
  
_"Look how many of them there are... And they're all acting like chatting with a frog is no big deal. This... this is how it should be. I wish I could be that relaxed and open..."_  
  
You were dragged from your thoughts as you felt Papyrus' fingers wrap around yours. You looked up at him, your face heating from the contact.  
  
"BE CAREFUL, HUMAN! I WOULD NOT WANT YOU TO GET LOST IN THE CROWD!"  
  
"Uh... yeah..."  
  
The two of you continued on, Papyrus' hand still entwined in yours.  
  
"H-hey, where are we going, anyway?"  
  
"UNDYNE AND ALPHYS ARE RUNNING A PUZZLE GAUNTLET! I WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU, AND THEN WE CAN TEST OUR PUZZLE SKILLS!"  
  
Papyrus seemed particularly excited. You had learned about his love of puzzles a while ago, and had even introduced him to a few puzzle games. He'd been ecstatic when you had shown him the Professor Layton series. He loved the number and variety of puzzles it had, and the upstanding morals and gentlemanly nature of the titular Professor.  
  
"EEK!" you yelped as you accidentally bumped into some sort of lion-person who was wearing a dress. "S-sorry..." you squeaked nervously as Papyrus continued to pull you along, oblivious to the collision.  
  
The lion person gave you an inscrutable look as you continued forward, and you moved closer to Papyrus, nearly jogging to keep up with his long strides.  
  
You were moving too quickly to get a good look at any of the stalls, but you were becoming too anxious of the crowd of monsters to appreciate them anyway. Having been jarred out of your thoughts, you were now well aware of the curious looks you and Papyrus seemed to be getting occasionally.  
  
Finally, the street lined with stalls opened up into a wide-open field. There seemed to be a number of games and activities spread out here.  
  
Papyrus took a sharp left and lead the way towards an area that was cordoned-off on most sides, but featured an entrance with a sign that read:  
  


**TRIAL OF PUZZLES!**

**Test your skills in this ancient monster tradition!**

"THERE IT IS! I CAN'T WAIT FOR YOU TO MEET UNDYNE AND TRY SOME OF THE PUZZ-"

" **NGAAAAHHHHH!!! SNOW WRESTLING!!!** "

"AAHH!!"

You screamed when you were practically knocked off your feet as a blue and red blur slammed into Papyrus, ripping his hand from your grasp as they crashed to the ground.

You regained your balance and gaped in horror at the fish monster who now had Papyrus pinned to the ground, his skull pulled up into an uncomfortable looking headlock as she ground her fist into it in a painful noogie.

"PLEASE DO NOT NOOGIE THE SKELETON!! AND HOW CAN THIS BE SNOW WRESTLING WHEN THERE IS NO SNOW?!" Papyrus flailed helplessly.

"Pah! I'm sure it's snowing SOMEWHERE!"

She finally relented and got up off Papyrus. She then turned her gaze to you.

"And who is THIS?" she gave you a grin filled to the brim with terrifyingly sharp teeth.

Papyrus stood, brushing off the dirt and grass that was clinging to him, before stepping to your side and facing the monster.

"THIS IS MY NEW FRIEND I'VE BEEN TELLING YOU ABOUT! HUMAN, THIS IS UNDYNE, MY FRIEND AND FORMER CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD!" he grinned excitedly.

"So, YOU'RE the one who's been hogging Papyrus on Saturdays, huh? C'mere!"

She lunged for you and your flight instincts kicked in. You yelped and dodged back, ducking behind Papyrus.

"UNDYNE!" Papyrus scolded.

"Sheesh, sorry. Didn't realize you were so flighty. I didn't mean any harm," she looked at you appraisingly.

You just stared back warily, not trusting your voice to say anything in return. This was not going well.

Undyne looked disappointed as you continued to use Papyrus as a shield.

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT, UNDYNE! THE HUMAN IS JUST A LITTLE SHY!"

"A little?" she questioned.

"WHY ARE YOU OUT HERE? I THOUGHT YOU WERE HELPING RUN THE PUZZLE GAUNTLET?"

Undyne refocused her attention on Papyrus.

"I'm taking a break right now. I was getting kind of bored watching people stumble through the puzzles, so I tried to spice things up. You know, nothing big. Just adding an element of danger by chucking a few spears at people who were taking too long. Alphys said the police might not appreciate it if I shish-kabobbed any fair-goers, so she suggested I go check out the rest of the fair for now."

"THAT'S WEIRD. LETHAL TRAPS ARE A TIME-HONORED TRADITION! WHAT'S A PUZZLE WITHOUT A FEW LASERS AND DEADLY SPIKES?"

"Eh, I never really liked puzzles anyway. Why don't you head in, though? They always seemed to be more your thing." Undyne hooked her thumb towards the entrance.

"I THINK WE WILL!"

"Cool. See you later, nerd!" she casually waved and headed off into the Fair.

"D-deadly traps are a time-honored tradition??" you squeaked out quietly, now that Undyne was gone.

"NYEH? TECHNICALLY SPEAKING, THE KING PASSED A LAW BANNING DEADLINESS FROM PUZZLES. HE SAID IT WAS HAZARDOUS TO CHILDREN, WHICH IS WEIRD, BECAUSE KIDS LOVE DEADLY THINGS!"

You couldn't tell if he was kidding or not.

"REGARDLESS, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR WITH ME BY YOUR SIDE, HUMAN! LET'S GO!"

He grabbed your hand and was dragging you along once again. The two of you entered the lobby, and you approached a booth where a yellow dinosaur in a lab coat was seated, watching something on a monitor intently. You caught a glimpse of some sort of animated show before Papyrus greeted her at his usual booming volume.

"GOOD MORNING, DOCTOR ALPHYS!"

"EEEK!!" she practically fell out of her chair before scrambling to change the monitor to another setting, which seemed to be a security camera feed.

"P-Papyrus! Y-you startled me!" she stammered, fixing her glasses.

"WOWIE! I MUST BE SO STEALTHY I CAN SNEAK WITHOUT EVEN MEANING TO!"

Both you and Alphys leveled stares at him indicating your thoughts on just how 'stealthy' the loud skeleton was, but neither of you decided to comment out loud.

"BY THE WAY, THIS IS MY HUMAN FRIEND! HUMAN, THIS IS DOCTOR ALPHYS! SHE USED TO BE THE ROYAL SCIENTIST!"

"O-oh! Um... h-hello? I-it's n-nice to m-meet y-you?" Alphys' stuttering grew worse as her greeting trailed off into a quiet squeak.

"L-likewise..." you replied.

"...."

"...."

"...."

The silence was long and awkward. Even Papyrus began to fidget nervously in the quiet, a drop of sweat forming on his brow.

"PERHAPS WE SHOULD... TRY THE GAUNTLET?"

"A-ah! Yes! O-of course! Go r-right in! If you f-find yourself getting s-stuck on a puzzle, j-just p-push the h-help button at the entrance t-to each r-room, and I-I'll deactivate it s-so you can m-move on. " she explained.

"THAT WON'T BE NECESSARY, AS I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM A PUZZLE MASTER! NYEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus bragged.

He then dragged you through the door towards the first puzzle.

The first few puzzles were relatively simple. They featured buttons and switches that needed to be pressed in a certain order, based on a riddle presented on a plaque. You were startled when a rock in one of the puzzles scolded you for trying to push it onto a switch. It was happy to comply when Papyrus politely asked it to move, though.

Papyrus was particularly excited about the next few rooms.

"THESE PUZZLES ARE BASED ON THE ONES I SET UP IN SNOWDIN!" he stated proudly. "NATURALLY, I ALREADY KNOW THE SOLUTIONS, SO I WILL LET YOU TRY TO FIGURE THEM OUT! COME, HUMAN! LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN MATCH WITS WITH THE GREAT PAPYRUS!"

"Ha ha! I guess there's only one way to find out!" you grinned at him, finally having relaxed again. This was pretty fun.

The puzzles started off relatively simple, just stepping on tiles to change the Xs to Os. Then, it grew surprisingly complex. Figuring out how to accomplish that goal in a mini-maze of 'snow' that Papyrus pointed out was in the shape of his face, and then trying to do it on ice. Those ones took you a couple tries, though you did eventually get them.

"AND THIS IS THE INVISIBLE ELECTRICITY MAZE! YOU MUST MAKE YOUR WAY THROUGH WITHOUT TOUCHING THE WALLS, OR YOU WILL RECEIVE A HEARTY ZAP!" he explained.

"Electricity maze?!"

"...OR IT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE. THE KING AND QUEEN THOUGHT THAT WAS TOO DANGEROUS, SO THE PUZZLE WAS ALTERED TO SIMPLY FEATURE INVISIBLE WALLS. YOU MUST STILL NAVIGATE THE MAZE, BUT YOU WON'T GET ZAPPED IF YOU MAKE A WRONG TURN."

You relaxed a bit. That seemed a lot more reasonable. Although, it did surprise you that Papyrus' original puzzle design seemed so... unpleasant. You never would have guessed he'd be capable of such a thing.

You slowly made your way through the maze, bumping into walls every step of the way.

"I wonder how they made invisible walls for this? I can feel them, but I can't see them at all!"

You got through the maze, followed by Papyrus, and you made your way into the next room. This one featured a bridge-like structure over a pit. On either side of the bridge hung a number of weapons. Cannons, maces, blades... and a... dog??

"OH! THIS IS THE GAUNTLET OF DEADLY TERROR! WHEN IT IS ACTIVATED, THE CANNONS WILL FIRE! BLADES WILL SLICE! EVERYTHING SWINGING VIOLENTLY UP AND DOWN! WITH ONLY THE SLIMMEST OF CHANCES TO GET PAST! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!"

You looked anxiously at the weapons, and then realized they were all fake.

"Well, of course they're made of foam! What was I expecting at a fair?? ACTUAL bloodshed? Now I'm just being STUPID," you grumbled to yourself. "But, still... Papyrus said these puzzles are all based on the ones he'd set up himself in the Underground... How could happy, sweet-hearted Papyrus have set up something like THIS?"

Papyrus seemed to catch your questioning glance, and began to sweat nervously.

"O-OF COURSE, I NEVER DID USE THE ORIGINAL PUZZLE. I'M A SKELETON WITH STANDARDS, AFTER ALL! MY PUZZLES ARE VERY FAIR, AND MY TRAPS EXPERTLY COOKED!"

You weren't entirely sure WHAT he was talking about, but you were relieved that he'd never used a deadlier version of this against anyone. You're not sure WHAT you would have thought if he had.

"A-ANYWAY, ALLOW ME TO DEMONSTRATE THIS ONE!"

Papyrus moved onto the bridge, and the puzzle activated. He jumped, dodged, and rolled past the swinging parts and foam cannonballs fired at him. He reached the other side quickly, and with ease.

"YOU SEE! THAT'S HOW IT'S DONE! NOW, YOU TRY!"

You blanched slightly. You were nowhere NEAR as agile as Papyrus... but you gave it a try anyway.

...And you were easily knocked into the pit. You climbed up the ladder to the entrance and tried again. You ducked the first mace, and were smacked in the face by the stuffed dog, stumbling into the pit. This went on for a good 15 minutes before you'd had enough.

"I-I don't think... *pant* I can do this one, Paps... *pant* M-maybe I should just... *pant* have Alphys deactivate it..." you said after climbing out of the pit again, trying to catch your breath.

"THAT'S OKAY, HUMAN. I KNEW THAT THIS PUZZLE WAS TOO DIRECT."

You walked over to the intercom at the entrance of the room and pressed the button.

"A-Alphys? Do you think you could deactivate this puzzle for me? I'm pretty sure I'm not getting through on my own anytime soon."

"A-ah! I s-see you on the monitor. D-don't let it bother you! P-Papyrus and Undyne are the only ones who have m-made it through that one. H-here, I'll go ahead and deactiv-" she was cut-off.

" **THAT'S IT!** NYEH HEH HEH!"

You turned in confusion to Papyrus, who had jumped into the pit and was climbing up to the entrance side of the puzzle.

"What's it??"

"THE SOLUTION!"

"Solution? Solution to what?"

"THIS PUZZLE!"

You gave Papyrus a perplexed look.

"YOU SAID YOU COULDN'T GET THROUGH IT ON YOUR OWN, SO I WILL HELP YOU! THEN YOU WON'T BE ON YOUR OWN AND CAN GET THROUGH THE PUZZLE!" he seemed proud of his logic.

"I don't see how-EEEK!!"

Papyrus scooped you up, bridal-style, into his arms and you clutched desperately at his neck and shoulders as your feet were swept out from under you. He approached the gauntlet.

"I don't think this is a good idea!" you exclaimed.

"NONSENSE! THIS IS THE BEST IDEA!"

He suddenly darted forward into the fray, dodging and weaving with you clinging to him in mild terror. He ducked under a cannonball, and held you close as he rolled under the swinging dog. He came to a stop on the other side of the gauntlet, grinning triumphantly.

"NYEH HEH HEH! SEE! I TOLD YOU! NO PUZZLE IS TOO GREAT FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS! NOT EVEN AN UNFAIR ONE CRAFTED BY HIS OWN GENIUS!"

You were still clinging to Papyrus as he held you, panting as you tried to calm yourself from the sudden adrenaline rush.

"O-oh my!" you heard Alphys say breathlessly over the intercom before she seemed to realize that it was still active, squealed in embarrassment, and cut off the connection.

You blushed at the realization that Alphys was probably still watching the video feed of you and Papyrus, where he was currently still holding you closely in his arms... He didn't seem inclined to set you down...

"I-I think I'm good, P-Papyrus... You c-can put me down now..."

"NYEH? OH!"

He set you back on your feet, his cheeks stained slightly orange.

"T-thanks for the help there."

"YOU'RE WELCOME, HUMAN!" his blush deepened slightly.

The two of you moved through the rest of the rooms without further issue. The only exception being a long colored-tile maze that Papyrus kept confusing the rules on. You had to ask Alphys to deactivate that one. By the time you finished, it was nearly lunch time.

"SO, WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE PUZZLE GAUNTLET, HUMAN?" Papyrus asked you as you stepped back into the entrance room.

"It was a lot of fun, actually!" you smiled at him.

"I KNEW YOU'D LIKE IT!" he smiled brightly at you. "WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO NEXT?"

Your stomach growled a bit.

"Hah... I'm thinking lunch would be a good idea."

"OF COURSE! NOW YOU'LL FINALLY GET THE CHANCE TO TRY SOME MONSTER FOOD! LET'S GO!"

He once again grabbed your hand and started leading you out of the building. You glanced in Alphys' direction and saw that, rather than watching the monitors, she was eyeing Papyrus' hand joined with yours while sporting a deep blush and a goofy grin on her face. You blushed once again as Papyrus lead you back onto the festive streets.

\------------------------------

There was a large variety of food to choose from. There were burgers, hot dogs, salads, pastries, fruit, ice cream, and even something called... Temmie flakes? They appeared to be little pieces of paper, and the monster selling them seemed to be selling them at a variety of prices, despite all the 'options' being exactly the same? Papyrus wisely steered you away from that particular booth when the vendor's face seemed to be vibrating off her head at the excitement of having a human browse her wares. You were SO confused on how that was even possible...

You eventually settled on a burger and some fries from a flame elemental.

"GRILLBY! HAVE YOU SEEN MY BROTHER TODAY?"

The elemental shook his head.

"HMPH. THAT LAZYBONES IS PROBABLY STILL ASLEEP, THEN. THANK YOU, GRILLBY."

The elemental nodded in acknowledgement as you walked away to find somewhere to sit and eat.

The two of you had found an empty table set up on the far edge of the plaza, farthest from the main crowds, and were about to sit when there was a sudden thump. You both looked in the direction of the noise and saw a grinning child clinging to Papyrus' leg.

"FRISK!!" Papyrus quickly set down his lunch, grabbed up the child and pulled them into a barely-restrained hug.

The child pulled back a bit and began signing to Papyrus happily. You had no idea what they were saying, as the only sign language you had learned was the basic alphabet, and that had been many years ago.

"I AM GLAD TO SEE YOU, TOO! .... YES, I ALREADY WENT THROUGH THE PUZZLE GAUNTLET! .... HAHA! I BET IT WAS A BREEZE FOR YOU! ... NO! I DID NOT SKIP THE COLORED TILE PUZZLE!! ER... WITHOUT ATTEMPTING IT A FEW TIMES..."

Frisk was giving Papyrus a smug look now. You were once again interrupted.

"My child!" an incredibly tall, incredibly agitated, white goat monster approached.

You retreated to the other side of the table.

"Frisk! You must not run off on your own like that!" she scolded the child.

Frisk looked properly chastised and signed sheepishly towards the goat monster.

"Yes, I understand you were excited to see your friend, but you must understand that it is dangerous to wander off on your own." Frisk signed a response. "Your apology is accepted, my child. Just please do not do that again," the goat woman seemed mollified.

She then looked towards Papyrus and yourself.

"Good day to you, Papyrus. Who is your friend?"

"GOOD AFTERNOON, YOUR MAJESTY! THIS IS MY NEW HUMAN FRIEND, _____! HUMAN, THIS IS FRISK AND THEIR MOM, THE QUEEN OF ALL MONSTERS!"

"Q-Queen?! And Frisk! The ambassador to monsters?!" you thought back to all the news articles you'd seen about monsters, and the press conference over a year ago. You knew Papyrus was friends with them, he'd told you as such before, but it was one thing to be told about it and another to be meeting them in person.

Toriel smiled gently at you.

"There is no need to stand on formalities, my child. You may call me Toriel, and simply address Frisk by their name as well. Honestly, I am no longer the Queen of monsters. That is a position I stepped down from long ago. Now, I am simply a school teacher, working to broaden the horizons of our youths."

You relaxed a bit. It was hard not to under the kind, motherly gaze of Toriel.

"It's nice to meet you..." you acknowledged both the former-queen and her child.

Toriel smiled soothingly, and Frisk, to your bemusement, gave you a flirtatious grin and fired finger pistols in your direction.

Toriel returned her attention to Papyrus.

"I hate to be a bother, but would you mind keeping an eye on Frisk for me? They would like to explore the Fair, but I have duties to which I must attend and cannot escort them myself."

"NO PROBLEM, YOUR MAJESTY! I AM ALWAYS HAPPY TO SPEND TIME WITH FRISK!" Papyrus beamed.

"Ah, thank you so much Papyrus. I know they will be safe in your hands. Here is their lunch, and some money for other snacks and games." She handed over a bag and some gold coins to Papyrus. "I must be off. It was nice to meet you, my child." she nodded in your direction, then turned and left.

Papyrus plopped Frisk down into a chair, and then followed suit, digging out his Legendary Hero he'd purchased from an MTT stall. Frisk opened up their lunch which contained a hot dog, and some cinnamon bunnies, and you began digging into your burger from Grillby. It was kind of greasy, but surprisingly good! You could feel your energy picking back up almost instantly, and it almost seemed to have a soothing effect on your nerves.

The three of you chatted happily as you enjoyed your lunch, with Papyrus translating for Frisk. You chuckled as, at one point, you glanced at your basket of fries and found a handful missing and conspicuously replaced with a cinnamon bunny.

"Well, will you look at that... some of my fries seem to have transformed into a cinnamon bunny," you teased Frisk as they giggled behind the napkin they were using as a crude cover for their fry theft.

You picked up the cinnamon bunny and took a bite. The outside was flaky and sweet, with the inside being delightfully soft and fluffy. It was also so fresh from the oven that it was still warm!

"Man, monster food is AMAZING!" you said through a mouthful of food.

"YOU SHOULDN'T TALK WITH YOUR MOUTH FULL, HUMAN. IT'S BAD MANNERS, AND YOU COULD CHOKE!"

Frisk grinned around their mouth full of fries and signed something to Papyrus.

"THE SAME GOES FOR YOU,TOO, FRISK!"

Frisk stopped and simply stared at Papyrus with one eyebrow raised. The fact that signing wouldn't cause them to choke seemed to whisk right past Papyrus. You swallowed your food and stuck your tongue out at Frisk, whose face scrunched up at the gesture before they finished chewing and swallowing their food.

The three of you finished up lunch, and headed back into the crowds. Frisk was sitting on Papyrus' shoulders, and Papyrus had once again taken your hand. You even managed not to blush this time! Well, until Frisk looked at your joined hands and then waggled their eyebrows suggestively at you.

 _"That cheeky little monkey!"_ you met their stare, and their grin widened in amusement for a few moments before softening.

You couldn't be mad at them, though. It seemed the rumors about the kid's charisma were true. They were just mischievous enough to be amusing without being bothersome, and seemed to have an uncanny knack for when it was time to kick-up the sweetness a notch.

You flinched away from a monster that passed too close, aligning yourself to be more directly behind Papyrus. Frisk was looking back at you in confusion and concern, but you self-consciously refused to meet their gaze. They frowned, and glanced at Papyrus. Papyrus' grin was still in place, but it looked a little more strained than usual, and his grip on your hand seemed to be firmer. Frisk debated asking Papyrus about your reaction, but, after a moment's hesitation, decided not to. Papyrus saw the good in everyone. It was one of the things that Frisk loved dearly about the skeleton. It made them worry about him at times, as they knew the world was not always kind, but after they'd spent lunch together, they knew that Papyrus was right about you. Something was off, that much was certain, but they were willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, so far so good! You didn't make the best impression with Undyne, but Alphys totally ships it and Frisk likes you. 
> 
> This chapter also marks the first longer chapter, at about 4500 words. I can't guarantee that all chapters will be this long in the future, but expect the next couple to be on the longer side of the scale for... reasons. ;)


	9. The Brewing Storm

Papyrus came to a sudden stop at the sound of a commotion.  
  
"What's going on?" you asked, turning towards the source of the noise.  
  
There was some sort of loud chanting going on. The three of you approached cautiously until you could see the part of the street where the commotion was occurring, a crowd of onlookers keeping their distance.  
  
There were dozens of humans occupying the street, carrying signs and following the angry shouts of their leader.  
  
"Are we going to let these beasts steal our jobs?!"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"Are we going to let them steal our land?!"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"Are we going to let them steal our wives and corrupt our children?!"  
  
"NO!"  
  
The signs said things like 'The only good monster, is a dead monster,' 'God hates monsters,' and 'Go back underground, hell spawn'. They weren't doing anything besides circling, waving their signs, and chanting, but they seemed to be working themselves into a greater frenzy.  
  
Papyrus cautiously stepped back with you and Frisk, never removing his gaze from the protestors. You noticed there were several armored monsters helping keep the curious crowd at a safe distance, as well. The sound of sirens filled the air, and a minute later, a number of police cruisers arrived on the scene. Most of the officers were prepped in riot gear. The protestors were technically within their rights, though, as long as it didn't turn violent. The area was public property, and they were allowed to peacefully protest, even if their ideas were bigoted. The police simply helped bolster the armored monsters in their stance as the first line of defense if things went south.  
  
Their presence, however, seemed to have a disarming effect, as many of the protestors seemed to lose steam in the presence of armed cops. The chanting started to die down, and as the threat of violence diminished, the protestors begrudgingly began to disperse on their own.  
  
You spotted Toriel nearby, talking to a police captain. She looked worried, and you couldn't blame her. Those protestors gave you a bad feeling, and you didn't trust the fact that they had 'dispersed' so easily. Apparently, neither did she, as a the captain she was talking to signaled for a number of officers to continue patrolling the area.  
  
Papyrus finally seemed to snap out of his defensive stance and turned to you.  
  
"WELL! THAT WAS... DISTRESSING." He seemed down about what he'd just witnessed.  
  
You squeezed his hand comfortingly, and Frisk wrapped their arms around his head in a hug, before leaning over and signing so he could see.  
  
"YES. YOU'RE RIGHT FRISK. WE SHOULD NOT LET THEM RUIN OUR DAY! THERE'S STILL SO MUCH FUN TO BE HAD!" Papyrus seemed to perk up again. Frisk signed some more. "THE GAME STALLS? YES! THAT SOUNDS GOOD! WHAT DO YOU THINK, HUMAN? WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY AND WIN SOME PRIZES IN THE GAMING AREA?"  
  
"Sure. Let's go!"  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The gaming stalls surprised you. You were used to the ones at human fairs where the game was rigged to be extremely difficult to win. Here, while they weren't always easy, the games were at least fair, avoiding dirty tricks like oddly-weighted rings that barely fit their target, or softballs that were too light to easily knock down heavily weighted bottles. Many of the gamesmen even gave out small trinkets to those who lost at their games.  
  
Your small group was soon each toting a bag of prizes ranging from sweets and small toys like yo-yos, to stuffed animals and even coupons for some free nice cream. You'd even won a small potted flower, its golden petals shining brightly in the sunlight.  
  
You came to a stop and gaped at one of the games.  
  
"W-what happened here??"  
  
It was one of those strength tester games, but it was half-crushed under a huge boulder.  
  
"I WOULDN'T DOUBT IT, FRISK. IT PROBABLY WAS UNDYNE GETTING CARRIED AWAY."  
  
"Undyne? That fish-lady from earlier?? Are you saying she can lift something like that?!"  
  
Frisk nodded and then signed something.  
  
"FRISK SAID THAT THEY'VE SEEN HER LIFT BIGGER. SO HAVE I. SHE REALLY OUTDID HERSELF THE LAST TIME WE HAD A BOULDER-SUPPLEXING CONTEST."  
  
"Boulder... supplexing... contest...?" you stared at them, baffled.  
  
Frisk nodded again, then signed something once more.  
  
"YES... WE'RE NO LONGER ALLOWED TO COMPETE AT FRISK'S MOM'S HOUSE. NOT EVEN AFTER WE GOT HER CAR BACK DOWN OFF THE GARAGE ROOF IN ONE PIECE... MOSTLY..."  
  
"I... don't think I even WANT to know the story behind that," you tamped down on your morbid curiosity.  
  
_"So, the fish lady is insanely strong, and I went and made a terrible impression. Just, perfect."_  
  
You made a mental note to avoid letting her impression of you go from 'awkward' to 'angry' as you stared at the damaged game.  
  
" **granite** , undyne can seem a little rough 'round the edges, but she's not as **stony** as she seems. she's actually quite **sedimentary.** "  
  
The sudden voice next to you scared you out of your wits, and your reactionary attempt to leap away had you tripping on your own feet and falling. Papyrus, ever quick on his feet, leaped forward and caught you before you could hit the ground.  
  
" **fallin'** for me already?"  
  
You sputtered in embarrassed indignation at the shorter skeleton who was now winking at you, a smile plastered on his face. Frisk was giggling furiously at the situation, and Papyrus, after lifting you back to your feet rounded on the shorter skeleton.  
  
"SANS! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START WITH YOU!"  
  
"maybe the beginning?" Sans suggested.  
  
"UGH! FIRST YOU ARRIVE HOURS LATE, THEN, WHEN YOU FINALLY **DO** DECIDE TO SHOW UP, THE FIRST THING YOU DO IS SCARE MY FRIEND, NEARLY MAKE HER FALL, AND ASSAULT HER WITH TERRIBLE PUNS! I MEAN, SEDIMENTARY FOR SENTIMENTAL? THAT'S QUITE A STRETCH, EVEN FOR YOU!" Papyrus ranted at his brother.  
  
"yeah, probably not my best one." Sans shrugged.  
  
"AND FINALLY, I WAS HOPING YOU COULD MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION WHEN FINALLY MEETING HER, AND THIS IS WHAT WE GET?"  
  
"i thought any impression would be a good impression. honestly, at this point i was wonderin' if she wasn't just imaginary and maybe i dreamed that phone call a few months ago."  
  
Sans locked eyes with you. His smile was still present, but there was something utterly unnerving about his gaze. It felt like he was looking straight through you, and you had to repress a shudder.  
  
Frisk walked over to Sans and gave him a stern look, shaking their finger at him before signing something.  
  
"alright, alright. i get it, kid. i'll ease up. guess i'm just a little miffed that somethin' always seemed to come up whenever it came to meetin' the rest of us."  
  
His gaze returned to you, and you looked away, mortified by the not-so-subtle and entirely accurate accusation.  
  
"SANS!!"  
  
Now Sans was getting scolding looks from both Frisk and Papyrus. He held his hands up in surrender.  
  
"okay! okay! i'm sorry! no need to **patella** me twice!" Papyrus groaned at the pun, and Sans turned back to you, the hostility diminished. "i think we got off on the wrong foot. let's try this again." Sans extended his hand, "heya, i'm sans. sans the skeleton. it's nice to finally meetcha, pal."  
  
You hesitated, examining his face to see if he was serious, or if he was just humoring you for his brother's sake. You couldn't tell. He seemed to constantly be grinning, and the rest of his expression seemed guarded and unreadable. You couldn't help feeling utterly exposed under his scrutiny.  
  
Well, you weren't going to win any brownie points by refusing to give him a chance... You extended your hand towards his and introduced yourself.  
  
"H-hi, I'm _____. It's n-nice to meet y-"  
  
You were cut off by the long, loud sound of flatulence as you gripped his hand. Sans and Frisk both began to laugh, and Papyrus smacked his hand to his face in exasperation.  
  
"hehehehehe! the ol' whoopie cushion in the hand trick! a classic!"  
  
"I THOUGHT I'D HIDDEN ALL OF THOSE..."  
  
You smiled awkwardly.  
  
_"Well, it's better than the first impression, at least."_  
  
After his laughter died down, Sans bid the rest of you goodbye for now.  
  
"heh, guess i really should get to that hotdog stand i'm suppose to be runnin'. feel free to stop by later, and i'll hook you guys up with some real tasty 'dogs," he hooked his thumb in the direction of the food stalls...  
  
... And then walked off in the other direction. Oddly enough, neither Papyrus nor Frisk seemed to be questioning this.  
  
The three of you continued your journey around the more open parts of the fairgrounds where the games and shows were occurring. This relieved you, as you no longer felt as claustrophobic as you had on the crowded, monster-lined streets.  
  
The three of you watched some snail racing, which was oddly exciting and concerning given the penchant for some of the snails to burst into flames. There was even a nearby stall selling snails and snail-products. Snail pie was boldly advertised, and the idea made you a little queasy. You were surprised when Frisk walked up to the stand and bought one.  
  
"Really? You like snail pie??"  
  
Frisk made a face, and signed back.  
  
"THEY DO NOT LIKE IT THEMSELF, BUT THEIR MOM DOES. THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO GET IT FOR HER AS AN APOLOGY FOR RUNNING OFF EARLIER."  
  
"Aw! That's pretty sweet of you, kid!" you playfully ruffled their hair as they beamed proudly.  
  
You stopped at a puppet theatre that seemed to be doing a show on Frisk's journey through the Underground. The puppets were pretty well made, and seemed to be moving on their own?? There was a light aura around them as they moved, and it took you a moment to notice a wizard-like monster off to the side with the same color aura around it. It was muttering things to itself like 'Abracadabra!' and 'Please and thank you!'  
  
"Oh! They're being moved by magic!" you declared, trying to keep your voice down so as not to disturb the people watching the show.  
  
"I DID NOT KNOW YOU KNEW MADJICK, HUMAN!" Papyrus loudly whispered.  
  
"Huh??"  
  
Frisk signed something, and Papyrus translated.  
  
"FRISK SAYS THE MONSTER WHO'S CONTROLLING THE PUPPETS IS NAMED MADJICK: M-A-D-J-I-C-K. "  
  
"Oh! I see! No, I don't know them, Papyrus."  
  
"THEN WHY DID YOU SAY..."  
  
Papyrus looked a little confused, but Frisk explained it to him, helpfully spelling out what you'd actually meant.  
  
"OH! I UNDERSTAND NOW!"  
  
The puppet show was quirky and fun, and after it ended, the performers came up to the front of the stage and bowed once more to the applauding crowd before everyone began moving off to the next event.  
  
Frisk signed to Papyrus.  
  
"I AGREE. IT WASN'T COMPLETELY ACCURATE, BUT IT WAS FUN, NONE-THE-LESS. I WISH THEY'D INCLUDED THE PART WHERE UNDYNE WAS CHASING YOU DOWN, CHUCKING DOZENS OF SPEARS AT YOU AND TRYING TO KILL YOU, OR THE PART WHERE I RODE A DINOSAUR THROUGH THE JUNGLE WITH THE SUN ON MY SKIN AND WIND IN MY HAIR ON MY WAY TO RESCUE YOU FROM CERTAIN DOOM, MY MUSCLES BULGING AND SWEAT GLISTENING BEHIND THE SHADE OF MY COOL SUN GLASSES..."  
  
Frisk gave Papyrus an incredulous look and responded.  
  
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I NEVER CAME TO YOUR RESCUE WHILE RIDING A DINOSAUR?! ... WELL, MAYBE THAT ONE WAS JUST A DREAM I HAD LAST NIGHT."  
  
You looked between the two of them.  
  
"So... you're only going to refute the dinosaur part? Not the whole, Undyne-trying-to-murder-you-with-spears part??"  
  
Frisk shrugged sheepishly at you.  
  
"What... the fuck..."  
  
"HUMAN! AND IN FRONT OF A CHILD, NO LESS! THAT'S GOING TO BE AT LEAST A DOLLAR FOR THE SWEAR JAR!"  
  
"I'd hardly consider swearing to be worse than trying to MURDER them."  
  
"WELL... THINGS GOT BETTER... UNDYNE WOULD NEVER LET ANYONE HARM FRISK, NOW."  
  
You remained unconvinced. Frisk looked a bit solemn and signed.  
  
"FRISK SAYS THEY FORGIVE UNDYNE, AND EVERYONE UNDERGROUND FOR WHAT HAPPENED DOWN THERE. MONSTERS WERE IN A VERY DIRE PLACE WHEN THEY ARRIVED, TEETERING ON THE BRINK OF HOPELESSNESS AFTER BEING TRAPPED FOR SO LONG. WE WERE DESPERATE, AND THEY DO NOT BLAME US FOR OUR ACTIONS. THEY ARE SIMPLY HAPPY TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HELP FREE US. AFTER ALL, EVERYONE DESERVES A CHANCE AT HAPPINESS."  
  
You stared down into the solemnly determined expression of this young child. You could tell that so much more had happened Underground than was shown in the light-hearted puppet show. This kid, all alone, had faced incredible trials, and come through victorious. Yet, underneath the surface, they and the monsters they had befriended were still hurting. The fears and pain they'd endured underground were still healing, and now they had the new challenge of trying to carve out their own place in a world dominated by hateful and distrustful humans.  
  
You felt your heart ache in sympathy for them. Struggling to survive in a world surrounded by people who may or may not prefer it if you were dead... Trying not to give them a reason to strike out at you... Just trying to find that little bit of kindness and happiness needed to keep moving forward... To avoid giving up hope...  
  
Tears welled in your eyes and you knelt down, pulling Frisk into a hug.  
  
"You really are a good kid, huh?"  
  
Frisk hugged you back, and then signed something for Papyrus to translate.  
  
"THEY SAID THAT YOU ARE A GOOD PERSON, TOO, EVEN IF YOU DON'T ALWAYS THINK SO."  
  
You stared at Frisk, wondering how they could possibly know what you thought of yourself. Their expression betrayed none of their secrets.  
  
The odd moment was broken by the sounding of a clock tower striking 6 o'clock. Frisk's expression turned excited as they began to sign again.  
  
"YOU'RE RIGHT, FRISK! IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR METTATON'S CONCERT! WE SHOULD HAVE SOME DINNER AND THEN GO GET OUR SEATS BEFORE ALL THE BEST ONES ARE TAKEN!"  
  
Papyrus picked up both you and Frisk with ease, and charged back towards the food stalls.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You looked around at all the monsters and humans filing in and taking seats on the grass in front of the massive stage. It seemed that nearly everybody who was attending the Fair was going to the concert.  
  
You continued to lick your nice cream from your spot in the grass. It was really good, actually. It was cool, and sweet, and just the right thing to help chase off the last lingering heat of the day. Frisk had eagerly showed you the message on the inside of each wrapper. Frisk's had said 'Love yourself! I love you!', Papyrus had been pleased to find his said 'You're just great!' and yours somehow featured an illustration of a hug.  
  
Of course, this had been after your group had visited Sans' hot dog stand, where you'd found him sleeping with his feet kicked up onto the counter. You'd also been baffled at how the stand seemed to have snow on the roof, even in the mid-August heat. Papyrus, upon seeing his brother napping, went on a furious rant about how his brother used to slack off from his sentry job by running a hot dog stand, and now that it was his job to run a hot dog stand, he was slacking off from **that.**  
  
"MY BROTHER IS TRULY A MASTER OF SLOTH." he concluded after calming down.  
  
You swore you saw the edges of Sans' grin twitch up even further.  
  
You'd all gotten hot dogs...? Although they seemed to be made out of some plant that Frisk described as a 'water sausage'. Yours, in truth, was a 'hot cat' which meant that part of it was cut to make it look like it had little cat ears on the end.  
  
You caught Sans staring at you a few times, and it made you nervous. He, on the other hand, seemed to find this hilarious, and he took advantage of every time Papyrus and Frisk were distracted to engage in a creepy stare-down with you, making you squirm. A few of those 'distractions' seemed awfully suspicious, and you wondered if he was somehow causing them, despite not seeing him move from his stand. You became even more convinced of this after Frisk convinced Sans so start stacking hot dogs on their head, and they started just sort of appearing at the top of the stack without Sans moving to put them there.  
  
The stack of hot dogs eventually tumbled into the observing crowd, and you saw several armed dogs greedily snatch them up in their jaws. One little white dog fell onto Papyrus' head, seemingly from nowhere, before snatching his hot dog and running off.  
  
You all laughed as Papyrus yelled after the little dog and stomped his foot in frustration. Sans ended up giving his brother a replacement hot dog, which he ate begrudgingly.  
  
"HOLD STILL, FRISK! YOU'VE GOT NICE CREAM ALL OVER YOUR FACE!"  
  
You looked over at Papyrus, who was trying to clean the chocolate off a protesting Frisk. After he'd finally succeeded, he grinned at the now pouting Frisk, who signed in agitation.  
  
"I KNOW YOU'RE NOT A BABY, BUT YOU CERTAINLY LOOKED LIKE ONE WITH THAT ICE CREAM ALL OVER YOU!"  
  
Frisk pouted even more.  
  
The murmur of the crowd around you quieted as the performers moved onto the stage and the loud speakers activated. Mettaton, who was currently in his box form, rolled up to the microphone at the front of the stage.  
  
"Good evening beauties and gentlebeauties! ~"  
  
The audience began to cheer, and Mettaton waved a hand to calm them before continuing.  
  
"Words cannot describe how happy I am to see you out here today, both monsters and humans sitting side-by-side to see me!"  
  
The audience whooped, and you heard a few shouts of 'We love you Mettaton!  <3' and 'Marry me, Mettaton!', 'No, marry ME, Mettaton!' before he once again calmed the crowd.  
  
"However, tonight isn't just about me, despite how amazing I am, but rather about all of you! Tonight is the night we celebrate our return to the surface, and all the opportunities that has provided! The fame! The fortune! The glory!"  
  
More cheering. Despite him saying that it wasn't about him, you got the impression that his speech really was just about him.  
  
"And tonight, it's time to share that glory! For you see, tonight, I am proud to introduce you all to the incredibly talented newest members of the MTT family!" he gestured behind him towards a ghost wearing headphones and seated at a DJ booth that was set up on the stage, and an odd fish-like monster seated at a piano, who was faced away from the crowd.  
  
"It is my pleasure to introduce Naptsablook and Shyren!"  
  
Mettaton began clapping with the crowd as spotlights and raining confetti focused on the shy looking monsters.  
  
"And now, without further ado! Let the concert begin!"  
  
The audience practically exploded as the performers began their first song.  
  
Papyrus looked absolutely star-struck, and Frisk was happily cheering along with him. It didn't take you long to get into the fun, too.  
  
The music was amazing, and several of the songs showcased the particular talents of both Napstablook, whose DJ skills were incredible, and Shyren, whose voice was hypnotically beautiful, especially when accompanied by the piano.  
  
Mettaton switched to his humanoid form part-way through the concert, and showed off his incredible dance skills. You weren't sure how, but somehow he seemed even more good-looking in person. You cheered along with the crowd.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The concert was a rousing success, and your throat was a little sore from all the cheering you did now that it was finally over.  
  
The crowd disbanded. Some heading towards the entrance to try and beat the rush to leave, now that the day was coming to a close, and others heading towards another event stage, where the closing ceremonies were going to be held.  
  
Your group headed towards the event stage.  
  
"AFTER THE CLOSING CEREMONIES, WE WILL FIND FRISK'S MOM AND DROP THEM OFF. SO, WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE FAIR, HUMAN?"  
  
You beamed at Papyrus.  
  
"You were right! It was great! I can't remember the last time I had this much fun!"  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH! I'M GLAD YOU ENJOYED YOURSELF, HUMAN! I AM VERY PROUD OF YOU FOR TAKING THE CHANCE TO COME WITH ME TODAY!"  
  
You blushed in embarrassment at the reminder that Papyrus was at least partially aware of your insecurities, but reminded yourself that you'd just spent the entire day surrounded by monsters, and nothing truly bad had happened.  
  
_"There were a few hiccups along the way, but I never would have dared do something like this a few months ago. He's right. This is a moment to be proud of what I've accomplished."_  
  
You smiled at Papyrus, the blush still staining your cheeks.  
  
You all turned your attention to the event stage. You were nearer the back of the crowd this time, and you honestly couldn't see a thing due to some taller monsters and humans in front of you. Papyrus seemed to be doing alright, and Frisk was once again perched on his shoulders.  
  
That was fine. It was just a closing ceremony. The important part was hearing the speech, not seeing the stage. You glanced around and saw a number of people beginning to disassemble various stalls and activities, picking up litter, and preparing for the end of the festivities in general. It was as you were looking around that the closing speech began.  
  
"Ahem. Good evening, monsters and humans! I thank you all for coming out to celebrate with us today! I am pleased to say that today's fair has been a rousing success, and has been the ideal showing of human and monster cooperation."  
  
You tensed at the sound of the rumbling baritone voice. It was eerily familiar, and set you on edge, despite the friendly words. There was a sound behind you, and you looked back to see Alphys struggling to disassemble a booth without it toppling over her. Papyrus spotted her, too.  
  
"UH-OH. I BETTER GO HELP HER BEFORE SHE GETS HURT. UNDYNE WOULD BE VERY UPSET IF I LET HER GIRLFRIEND GET SQUISHED INTO A PASTE. HUMAN, KEEP AN EYE ON FRISK FOR ME, WILL YOU? I WILL BE RIGHT BACK!"  
  
Papyrus plopped Frisk down onto the ground next to you, and ran off to help Alphys. Meanwhile, the speech continued.  
  
"I hope that you all will take away with you a little bit of the peace and joy you found here today, and help that spread throughout the world, so that, one day, monsters and humans of all walks of life may live together in harmony! Thank you, and have a safe trip home!"  
  
The crowd clapped and began to disperse, while you and Frisk waited for Papyrus to return. As the crowd thinned near the event stage, Frisk looked over and got very excited. They darted off towards the stage.  
  
"Sh-oot! FRISK! Come back here!" you ran after the child.  
  
You skidded to a halt when you came across Frisk plastered to the back of a caped figure. The being was utterly massive, dwarfing even Papyrus in height, with broad shoulders that seemed even broader thanks to the pauldrons he wore. Frisk grinned up at him, as he glanced down at them.  
  
"What is- oh! Frisk! I was not expecting you so suddenly!" the baritone voice rumbled. He turned and lifted the child.  
  
Frisk began to sign rapidly to him, and he chuckled.  
  
"Slow down, slow down! I take it you had an exciting day?"  
  
Frisk nodded rapidly. They then glanced back at you, and signed something to the monster before pointing in your direction.  
  
"A new friend?" he turned towards you, and you froze like a deer in the headlights. "It is always nice to meet my child's friends. My name is Asgore, and I am Frisk's dad. It is a pleasure to meet you, miss...?"  
  
You were frozen in place. You couldn't move. Couldn't speak. Couldn't think. Asgore fidgeted nervously at your frozen, unwavering stare. Frisk tapped Asgore to get his attention and signed something else.  
  
"Her name is _____, and she is very shy?" Asgore returned his attention to you. "I apologize, miss _____. I did not mean to make you nervous. I know I can seem intimidating to some, especially in my full royal regalia." he gestured to the fine robes and armor he wore, which served to make him seem bigger than he actually was. "Perhaps you would feel better with a cup of tea-"  
  
His sentence cut off awkwardly as his gaze seemed to focus on you. There was confusion and concern etched on his face.  
  
"You... seem familiar somehow... Have we met before?"  
  
Your breathing was heavy now, on the verge of hyperventilating. You were overwhelmed by fear as you stared into his face.  
  
In a brief flash, his face was suddenly replaced with one much younger. One sporting a look of unrelenting hatred and pain. One that was glaring at you, right down to your very soul. You could smell blood and ashes. You could feel a heat traveling through your veins. You...  
  
"Are you alright??"  
  
Asgore's voice snapped you back to the present, and you spotted one of his hands reaching out to you, concern plastered on both his and Frisk's faces.  
  
You reacted without thought. Adrenaline and panic flooded your system, and you turned and fled. You vaguely heard him call out to you, but you did not stop.  
  
Run.  
  
That's all you could focus on.  
  
Don't stop.  
  
Keep moving.  
  
Get away.  
  
**Faster.**  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You had no idea how long you'd been running when your senses finally returned to you. It was now dark, and you were somewhere far away from the Fair. You didn't recognize the area at all. You leaned against a building, panting and wheezing as you desperately tried to catch your breath. Everything hurt from your unexpected exertion. Your legs were sore, you had a stabbing pain all up your sides, you'd even managed to garner some scrapes and bruises during your flight.  
  
Worst of all, your head was absolutely **throbbing** in pain. Your vision was coming in and out of focus with the waves of pain. You had to figure out where you were. Get to a hospital. Something!  
  
There was no one on the street, no businesses either. You were in some sort of area with residential apartment buildings. You reached for your phone, but your bag was missing. You must have dropped it somewhere along the way.  
  
You stumbled towards a nearby building, but were staggered by another wave of pain. Your mind flooded with images of armor, and mud, and forests filled with torches. You ducked a few feet to the side into a narrow alleyway between buildings and retched as the images faded.  
  
You felt so tired...  
  
You collapsed against the side of the building and slid down to the ground, allowing yourself to slip into sweet, painless darkness...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening! This is your captain, PTGC. We are expecting a bit of turbulence, so I ask that everyone remain in their seats and fasten their seat belts. In the event of any unexpected bouts of nausea or feels, please direct your thoughts to the comments section. Once again, thank you for choosing PTGC Air, and have a safe trip. 
> 
> *Promptly crashes into the side of Mount Ebott, because I train GIRAFFES, not planes!*


	10. Betrayal

Papyrus returned to find Frisk absolutely distraught, and Asgore trying to calm them down.  
  
"Shh! Shh, my child! It will be alright!"  
  
"YOUR MAJESTY! FRISK! WHAT'S GOING ON? WHERE IS THE HUMAN?"  
  
Frisk was too busy trying to calm down to respond, so Asgore explained what happened.  
  
"Frisk introduced me to their new friend, _____, and told me that she was shy, but... something was wrong. She... flew into a panic and fled. I-" he hesitated, unsure if he should voice his concerns to the friendly skeleton, whom Frisk had told him had introduced them to the now missing young woman.  
  
He decided that he should not say anything without being certain.  
  
Papyrus had already pulled out his phone and dialed your number. It continued to ring unanswered until a human helping with the clean-up about 50-yards away held up a familiar looking bag and shouted,  
  
"Hey! Did someone lose a bag? Your phone is ringing!"  
  
The group ran over to the human and accepted the bag. Sure enough, it was yours.  
  
"Tell me, where did you find this?" Asgore questioned.  
  
"It was just lying on the ground near that stall over there." he pointed to an empty stall nearby.  
  
"You did not happen to see the young lady who dropped it, did you?"  
  
"No. Sorry."  
  
"Thank you for your help."  
  
Papyrus was now growing VERY worried.  
  
"Perhaps... perhaps she simply went home?" Asgore suggested.  
  
"SHE LIVES ALL THE WAY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN." Papyrus stated simply, staring at the lost belongings.  
  
More people approached them.  
  
"Hey, nerd! What're you still do- Wait... What's wrong?"  
  
Undyne's usual tone was immediately replaced with concern as she took in Papyrus' distressed features. Alphys and Sans picked up the pace behind her upon realizing that something was wrong.  
  
"I-IT'S _____! SHE PANICED AND RAN OFF AND DROPPED HER STUFF AND NOW I DON'T KNOW WHERE SHE IS BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T HAVE HER PHONE AND SHE COULD BE IN TROUBLE SOMEWHERE AND I WOULDN'T KNOW IT AND IT'D BE ALL MY FAULT BECAUSE I'M THE ONE WHO WANTED HER TO COME AND I KNEW SHE WAS SHY BUT IT WAS GOING SO WELL BUT THEN I LEFT HER AND-"  
  
"whoa, whoa, whoa! easy, bro. take a breath, now."  
  
Papyrus took a few minutes to get his breathing back in order and calm down while the rest of the group worked on a course of action.  
  
'We should look for her,' Frisk signed.  
  
"yeah, but if she freaked out, she may not be in any sort of state to let us help her, even if we do find her."  
  
"That doesn't matter! We need to help her even if we have to drag her kicking and screaming through the streets to do it!" Undyne growled.  
  
"U-Undyne, I don't think that would be the best way to go about things..." Alphys seemed apprehensive.  
  
"Hrm... I agree, Doctor Alphys. It would not reflect well on monsters if we were to do such a thing, even with good intentions." Asgore nodded solemnly.  
  
"B-besides, we don't have any idea which direction she went after leaving the fairgrounds..." Alphys pointed out.  
  
"Heh! I've got that covered!" Undyne grinned.  
  
Undyne let out a sharp whistle, and shouted "LINE UP, YOU MUTTS!"  
  
Charging in from various points of the fairgrounds, the former Snowdin Royal Guard Unit took up a well practiced stance in front of Undyne. Despite the Royal Guard having been officially disbanded, the dogs were ready and raring for orders.  
  
"Snowdin Royal Guard Canine Unit reporting for duty, Captain Undyne!" Doggo barked and saluted.  
  
He fixed his stance and re-saluted after Greater Dog turned him to actually face Undyne.  
  
"Alright! We've got a missing person situation! I have a bag belonging to her right here, and I want each of you to get a good wiff of it, pair up, and find her! I'm going to warn you now, she may be under some sort of distress and you are NOT to exasperate it! Your mission is to find her and ensure her safety first! Do I make myself clear?!"  
  
There was a variety of barks and 'Yes, ma'am!'s from the canine unit. Undyne turned to the rest of the group.  
  
"Alright. Papyrus! I want you with Dogamy and Dogaressa! Sans, you're with Doggo! Alphys, you go with Greater Dog. And Lesser Dog, you're with me!"  
  
Toriel, though not as quickly, had also responded to Undyne's call, realizing something was wrong. She listened quietly to the situation and watched with concern.  
  
"I will go with you, Undyne." Asgore rumbled.  
  
Undyne nodded.  
  
'I'm going, too!' Frisk signed.  
  
"No, my child. I'm going to have to ask you to stay here and allow the others to do the searching." Toriel spoke.  
  
Frisk did not look happy, and Asgore knelt down and placed a large hand on their shoulder.  
  
"We need you here, Frisk. We need someone to keep an eye out in case she returns. Someone who is a friend who can help keep her calm. Can you do that for me?"  
  
Frisk was still pouting, but nodded their head in acceptance.  
  
"Alright! Frisk and Toriel will hold down the fort, then! If anyone finds her, call me IMMEDATELY! Understood?"  
  
There was a chorus of acknowledgement before the dogs sniffed the bag thoroughly, then split up with their partners to cover more ground.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Your mind was racing with sights, sounds, smells, and other sensations, each lasting only moments before flickering on to the next. Everything seemed to whirl in a chaotic mess, with no rhyme or reason to it. It made you dizzy and your head throb. Somewhere in your mind you knew you weren't awake, but you couldn't remember where you were or what was happening, nor could you seem to rouse yourself from this pandemic nightmare.  
  
Where were you?  
  
What was happening?  
  
Who were you?  
  
Wet.  
  
And warm.  
  
Something wet and warm... A sensation that lingered. Something stable. You focused on the sensation through the chaos. Your eyes slowly opened as you roused. There was white and pink. And sound. An anxious whining.  
  
The world came back into focus and you found yourself face-to-face with a white dog that was anxiously licking your face. They seemed to perk up as you came-to and let out an excited bark.  
  
_"A... dog? Wait... Is it wearing armor??"_ your mind focused sharply.  
  
_**"Monster."**_  
  
You began to tremble and pant as images flooded your mind again.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
_"DRIVE THEM BACK! LET NONE ESCAPE!" a shout from horseback.  
  
Waves of men marched forward. All of them armed and readied for battle.  
  
But this was no battle.  
  
This was a slaughter.  
  
You could hear the screams. The shouts of desperate mothers. The terrified wail of children.  
  
And yet...  
  
You did nothing._  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The dog monster was licking your face, whining once again. This time, however, someone else had arrived.  
  
"Hey! Can you hear me? Come on! Snap out of it!"  
  
Your eyes shifted to the side and came to rest on another monster. She reached out a hand to you and you panicked, scrambling back away from her.  
  
"Whoa! Whoa... Easy there. I'm not going to hurt you. It's okay. Take deep breaths."  
  
She prompted you to breath with her, and gradually your breathing returned to normal. She seemed well practiced at this...  
  
"There, now. How are you feeling?" the fish monster, Undyne you reminded yourself, asked, concern lacing her features.  
  
"I-" you squeaked, and took a few more deep breaths before you could continue. "I'm c-confused... My head hurts... I d-don't know where I am!" More deep breaths.  
  
"It's alright now. I know we started off on the wrong foot, but I'm here to help. I promise."  
  
She reached her hand out to you once again, waiting to see if you would take it, a softer look on her normally harsh face.  
  
You hesitated a moment, then reached out to take her hand. She hoisted you to your feet like you weighed nothing.  
  
"Here, I think this belongs to you."  
  
She handed you back your bag.  
  
"T-thanks..."  
  
It was at that moment that you noticed a third figure had arrived at some point. Your eyes locked with Asgore's.  
  
"N-no! NO!" you stumbled back, tripping over some object left in the alleyway.  
  
Undyne reached for you and pulled, trying to prevent you from falling. However, her hand missed your own, and you felt a grasping sensation at your very core, and then an unusual emptiness.  
  
The action succeeded in preventing your fall, but had resulted in leaving you exposed.  
  
Before you floated a heart.  
  
No.  
  
Before you floated your SOUL.  
  
It was a dingy green color... Worn and scarred... There seemed to be nicks in it, and it almost appeared like a hand-me-down children's toy that endured generations of boisterous abuse.  
  
Undyne gaped at the soul.  
  
"I've... I've never seen a human soul in this sort of condition before..."  
  
There were a few brief moments of silence, before it was finally broken.  
  
"I-impossible..."  
  
Everyone's attention turned to Asgore. The light seemed to be gone from his eyes as he gaped at your soul.  
  
"No... it cannot be... it **should not** be!"  
  
"Your Majesty??"  
  
Asgore's face twisted in fury.  
  
" **You!** How is it that you are still alive after all this time?!" he bellowed at you.  
  
You cowered before his rage.  
  
"W-what are you talking about??" Undyne was bewildered. She'd never seen Asgore react in anger, and she didn't understand why he was reacting that way now. Lesser Dog whined and hid behind Undyne.  
  
Asgore ignored her.  
  
"You betrayed us all! You betrayed **me!** Do you have any idea how much we have all suffered because of your actions?!"  
  
You backed away, trembling, as Asgore stalked forward. Your back was now pressed against a wall.  
  
"Asgore! What are you doing?! That's enough!"  
  
Undyne tried to pull Asgore away, but he was undeterred. Despite all her years of training with him, she was still no match for the strength a true boss monster possessed.  
  
"Well?! Have you nothing to say for yourself, **mage?!** " he spat the last word like it was the gravest insult a person could utter.  
  
He was looming over you now, crackling with rage and barely restrained magic. You were trembling terribly, eyes wide with fear.  
  
He **hated** you. Absolutely loathed you.  
  
...  
  
And you deserved it.  
  
Your soul began to surge with power. Asgore's eyes widened with recognition, but before he could do anything, there was a snap.  
  
And you were gone.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Undyne stared at the empty space you had occupied moments before, trying to piece together what had just happened. Minutes ticked by as Asgore gradually composed himself, breathing heavily. Finally, without turning to face her, he spoke.  
  
"Undyne..."  
  
"...."  
  
"Gather the Queen, the former members of the Royal Guard, and Doctor Alphys at the embassy."  
  
"What just happened?"  
  
"I will explain once everyone has gathered. The matter is to remain top-secret until further notice. Is that understood?"  
  
Undyne, though still uneasy, saluted.  
  
"Yes, sir!" she signaled to Lesser Dog and turned to go.  
  
"And, Undyne..."  
  
She paused.  
  
"Bring the skeleton brothers, too. This is a matter that gravely concerns them, especially young Papyrus."  
  
Undyne nodded, and left.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
One moment, you were cornered by Asgore, the King of the Monsters. The next, you were somewhere else entirely, dry-heaving against a wall you were using to steady yourself from your unexpected... trip...  
  
Once again, you had no idea where you were, but it certainly wasn't the immaculately kept residential neighborhood you'd just been in. You warily glanced around at the graffiti covered buildings surrounding you. There were a few seedy-looking shops and a bar lining the street, and the pedestrians walking along were too busy minding their own business to notice your sudden appearance. You saw a scantily-clad woman smiling knowingly as she chatted up someone in a stopped car.  
  
_"Definitely a hooker..."_  
  
This was not the type of neighborhood you tended to go on a stroll through. In fact, you avoided these types of places like the plague.  
  
You pulled out your phone and fiddled with it for a few minutes before concluding that... whatever had just happened... had fried it.  
  
Great. You were in a rough neighborhood. Alone. With no idea where you were. And no way to call for help. Your head was also still throbbing, though at a much lower intensity now, and you felt so utterly drained you were fairly certain that the second you sat down, you'd be passing out. The only thing keeping you going was the lingering adrenaline in your system.  
  
But where were you suppose to go? You had no idea which way was the safest route out of here, and were wary of asking someone for directions and outing yourself as some lost schmuck wandering through a lion's den. Well... wary of making it more obvious than it already was.  
  
You spotted the hooker from earlier leading her John into what appeared to be a motel, just down the street. The idea of staying someplace where whores openly did business did not sit well with you, but you could feel the adrenaline waning. You needed somewhere safe for the night. Somewhere where you could regain your strength and figure out where you were. Maybe you could even get directions from the motel staff... as you were leaving, of course.  
  
It's not like you had many good options.  
  
You made your way inside and up to the booth where the desk clerk resided. She was reading a magazine and looking utterly bored.  
  
You rapped lightly on the window to get her attention.  
  
"How can I help you?" she drawled.  
  
"I'd like a room."  
  
She looked around and, seeing no one else, actually took the time to give you a once over.  
  
"You here by yourself, or...?"  
  
"Yes." you replied curtly.  
  
"Alright, sugar. No problem. That'll be $50 for the night."  
  
She seemed amused by your discomfiture, but did not comment as you paid her (Thank god you'd withdrawn extra money from the bank for the Fair!) and handed you your room key.  
  
"There. Quietest room in the place. Second floor, last door down the hallway on the left. Call 101 on the phone if you need somethin'," her smile seemed sympathetic.  
  
"Thanks..."  
  
You made your way to the stairs, ignoring the moaning in the room you passed to get there, and up to your room. After making sure everything was secure and locked, you looked around.  
  
The room was pretty barren. There was a bed, a nightstand with a lamp, alarm clock, and a phone. In the corner there was an uncomfortable-looking chair and a small table. Everything, from the furniture to the paint on the walls seemed pretty shabby. You opened a door to find a tiny bathroom that featured a toilet, a sink, and a narrow shower.  
  
You washed the remaining bile from your mouth in the sink and then collapsed on the bed, fully clothed, shoes and all. The last vestiges of your strength were drained, and you slipped into a fitful slumber.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
_"Come on! Let us practice our magic!" the white goat monster pleaded. He was tall and regal, his golden beard trimmed neatly, and his robes silken and fine, but his eager eyes and tone betrayed his youth.  
  
"I don't know..." you were worried. It'd be bad enough if you were found spending time with a monster, but if you were caught doing magic?  
  
"Pleeease! Magic is such an amazing, integral part of being a monster! Building and plying your magic is like getting to know a piece of who you really are! It is incredible! Most humans cannot do magic, so they cannot experience this, but you can! You are my friend, and I want you to see what I do when I look at your soul!"  
  
"I..." you considered his words.  
  
Magic was something that was feared by humans. When your magic had manifested, you had kept it hidden, never daring to tap into that well of power. You had forced yourself to be normal, but then, you'd met Prince Asgore. It was a forbidden friendship, with him being a monster and all, but the two of you always found time to sneak off to this secluded glade, away from the troubles of the world around you.  
  
When you'd first seen him summon fire magic, you'd been a bit frightened, but utterly fascinated by it. The crackle of the energy seemed to awaken your long-repressed power, and you felt it thrumming in your soul.  
  
During one of his practice sessions with his best friend and retainer, Gerson the turtle monster, he accidentally flung a gout of fire too far, and straight towards you. He'd immediately run over to you, terrified that he'd hurt you, but was stunned to see the flame never made it that far. The flame dispersed about a foot away when it collided with a shimmering barrier. You stood there, one arm covering your face, the other thrown up in front of you. When you glanced up, you saw the partially transparent barrier flicker and fade.  
  
Asgore had been ecstatic, and had been trying to convince you to practice your magic ever since.  
  
You looked into his face, so hopeful and eager to share this wonder with you, his friend.  
  
A shy smile crossed your lips.  
  
"...Okay."_  
  
\------------------------------  
  
There was a quiet murmur among the gathered monsters. They had been gathered in a room meant for highly sensitive discussions at the Monster Embassy in the heart of Monstertown. Former guards from all throughout the Underground were there, as was the former Royal Scientist, the skeleton sentries from Snowdin, and the former Captain of the guard.  
  
The Queen was on her way, but had to put the young ambassador, Frisk, to bed in the royal suite reserved for them in the embassy, first. It was a slow process as they were stubbornly demanding to know what was going on and seemed to have set their famed Determination against going to bed. Eventually, a mix of threats of being grounded and promises to tell them what she could when she could got the child to, reluctantly, agree to stay in their room. Although they declared that they would not sleep until they were told what was going on.  
  
Asgore, meanwhile, paced the room anxiously, debating on how best to relay the information. It was a delicate situation, especially with their tentative peace with humanity hanging in the balance. They could not act too rash, or they'd give those who opposed their integration powerful leverage. However, nor would it be wise to sit on their laurels and simply hope for the best.  
  
He already knew how THAT would turn out.  
  
Finally, Toriel entered the room, closing and locking the sound-proofed door behind her. She joined Asgore at the front of the room, and everyone turned their attention to him.  
  
"Hrm. Thank you all for gathering so quickly. I know this was short notice." he began. "I have called you all here this evening because I have dire news. A human mage has appeared."  
  
There was an explosion of whispers among those gathered.  
  
"A human mage?!"  
  
"Like the ones who created the barrier?"  
  
"But I thought humans didn't have magic anymore?"  
  
"Yeah, all the humans I've talked to said they didn't believe in actual magic before we were freed."  
  
Sans lounged lazily in his seat, but inside, his mind was racing. Asgore had called off the search for _____ to call this meeting, and Undyne, who Asgore had been searching with, was one of the only ones who didn't seem surprised by this announcement. He glanced to his brother beside him. He'd been disquieted since his human friend had disappeared several hours ago. Undyne had warned him that this meeting particularly affected his brother. It didn't take Royal Scientist-level genius to see where this was going.  
  
Asgore regained control of the audience and began to speak once more.  
  
"Now, a human mage in and of itself is not inherently dangerous. All humans have the capacity for both good and evil. However, this particular mage is a proven threat. While I do not understand how they are here now, I know with absolute certainty that this mage is one of the seven that created the barrier."  
  
There was no whispering this time. The frenzy that erupted was instantaneous and raucous.  
  
"WHAT?! THE BARRIER?!"  
  
"ONE OF THE SEVEN?! BUT HOW?!"  
  
"HUMANS DON'T LIVE THAT LONG, DO THEY?!"  
  
"ARE THEY HERE TO SEAL US AWAY AGAIN?!"  
  
"BUT WE'VE ONLY JUST REACHED THE SURFACE! I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK UNDERGROUND!"  
  
Even Undyne seemed stunned by this revelation. Sans looked towards his brother, who had remained silent the entire time. He seemed almost overwhelmed by everything that had happened so far tonight. Sans knew it was unlikely, but he prayed that he had reached the wrong conclusion about this meeting. For his brother's sake.  
  
Asgore once again quieted the room.  
  
"Unfortunately, to take action against this mage would be to give the anti-monster activists power, and threaten our blossoming peace. Until the mage takes action against us, we may not do them harm."  
  
There was worried murmuring.  
  
"However, that does not mean we must sit back and wait for an attack. It is for this reason that I will be reinstituting the Royal Guard. Your duty will be to protect our citizens from this threat. Doctor Alphys..."  
  
Alphys perked up nervously at suddenly being addressed.  
  
"As Royal Scientist I would ask you to develop a means of tracking and monitoring this mage. It is vital that we be able to keep tabs on them at all times so that we may be prepared if they decide to strike against us. It is also important that we have evidence to back up our actions with the human authorities, so I request that you ensure at least some of your methods are within human legal guidelines."  
  
"Y-yes... O-of course..."  
  
"I have here some documents featuring what information we know about this mage. This is a sensitive matter, which I do not want becoming public, so these documents and the information on them are not to leave this room. I urge you to memorize them to the best of your ability."  
  
The documents were passed around, and Sans heard Alphys gasp as they reached her. Dread filled his bones as he finally got a copy and confirmed his suspicions.  
  
"WHAT THE HECK?!"  
  
Papyrus' silence was broken as he jumped out of his seat, furious.  
  
"Please, Papyrus, I know this is a shock to you-"  
  
"HOW COULD YOU ACCUSE _____ OF CREATING THE BARRIER?! SHE WAS NOT EVEN ALIVE BACK THEN!"  
  
"I do not fully understand it myself, Papyrus, but there is no doubt-"  
  
"HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY BE SO SURE?!"  
  
"I recognized her soul, Papyrus. It is the same as-"  
  
"NO! YOU MUST BE MISTAKEN!"  
  
"There is no mistake, Papyrus, she-"  
  
"_____ IS MY FRIEND! SHE WOULD NEVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT!"  
  
**"SHE WAS MY FRIEND, TOO!"** Asgore snapped, and everything fell completely silent. After taking a few deep breaths, Asgore continued.  
  
"... Long ago... Before the barrier... Before the war... I had a human friend. Due to the tensions between monsters and humans, we would meet in secret. I discovered that, unlike most humans, she possessed the ability to use magic. I encouraged her... Trained her to harness that magic, because she was my friend and I believed she would always be so." he paused to take a deep breath. "But then the war happened. I worried for my friend, but I had to look after my people. I did not see her again until we were retreating beneath Mount Ebott. She stood outside that cave with the other mages. Their magic focusing into strengthening her spell... her magic... the magic that I helped teach her how to use."  
  
Everyone sat, stunned at this revelation. The tension in the room was palpable.  
  
"Please... Please understand, Papyrus. I know exactly what you're going through. It is... difficult to realize a friend is capable of such a thing... However, she cannot be trusted. Do not make the same mistakes that I did."  
  
Asgore had approached Papyrus, and gently placed a hand upon his shoulder, a mournful, sympathetic look on his face. As soon as his hand made contact, Papyrus jerked back as if he'd been burned.  
  
"N-NO... YOU'RE WRONG ABOUT HER... S-SHE WOULDN'T..."  
  
Before anything else could be said, Papyrus ran out of the room. Sans quickly stood up to follow him, and was stopped by Asgore.  
  
"I am truly, truly sorry to have upset your brother, but I urge you to **please** keep a close eye on him. Try to help him understand the kind of danger the human presents."  
  
"... heh. that may be easier said than done."  
  
With that, Sans stepped outside the room and disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there you have it. I warned you there would be betrayal in this fic. Did any of you guess that it was YOU who did the betraying? You're the mythical boogeyman that every monster fears. One of the infamous human mages from long ago. 
> 
> It's time to watch your world _burn._


	11. Of Dreams and Guilt

Sans found Papyrus slumped on the ground, leaning against your apartment door, head in his hands. It hurt so much to see his brother so despondent. He always tried so hard to protect him, but it seemed he'd failed once again.  
  
"...hey, bro..."  
  
Papyrus didn't respond.  
  
"...there room for one more against this door?"  
  
Papyrus shifted to the side a bit, making room for Sans. Sans sat next to him. He stared at the plaster of the wall on the other side of the hallway, trying to decide how best to wade into this conversation without hurting his brother even more. Thankfully, Papyrus broke the silence for him.  
  
"He's lying..." Papyrus muttered quietly.  
  
"do you really think the king would lie about something so serious?" Sans murmured.  
  
".... No..."  
  
Silence.  
  
"But... Maybe he's wrong... Maybe he's mistaken..."  
  
"it's... possible. it has been hundreds of years, after all..." Sans trailed off, uncertainly.  
  
Papyrus picked up on the hesitation.  
  
"...But?"  
  
"but... you know i can see souls, even when not in a fight, right, paps?"  
  
Papyrus nodded.  
  
"when i met her earlier today... i was surprised."  
  
Papyrus looked at his brother.  
  
"her soul... i've never seen anythin' like it... it... it looked so worn, and... **old** , paps... it really didn't match up with who she seemed on the outside. i... i knew there was something off about her. i just didn't know what... however... taking into account what asgore said... her anxiety about monsters makes... sense..."  
  
"WHAT ANXIETY ABOUT MONSTERS??" Papyrus was perplexed out of his stupor.  
  
"pappy... didn't you notice how she flinched and became uneasy whenever a monster came too close?"  
  
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? SHE GETS ALONG WELL WITH ME! SHE'S JUST SHY AROUND NEW PEOPLE, IS ALL!"  
  
"how did she react when meeting frisk? did she hesitate at all?"  
  
"WELL, NO, BUT FRISK IS A CHILD, AND A VERY LOVABLE ONE AT THAT! OF COURSE SHE'D HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH FRISK!"  
  
"and what about the stall vendors, or the other visitors?"  
  
"SHE WAS HESITANT AND HELD ONTO MY HAND FOR COMFORT!"  
  
"... with all of them?"  
  
Papyrus had to stop and think about this for a moment. You had seemed pretty relaxed with the human selling caricature portraits... and the human couple that had wanted their picture taken with him... and the human selling cupcakes and other pastries... Now that he was really thinking about it, you hadn't reacted poorly to most of the humans the two of you had encountered... not just the ones at the fair... He was disquieted once again.  
  
"But... but what about me? She's my FRIEND, Sans!"  
  
"how did she act when you first met?"  
  
You had warmed up to him pretty quickly, or so he had thought. Now, looking back on those initial days, he couldn't help but see all the little tell-tale signs he'd come to associate with your anxiety. Your tenseness... preference to remain quiet... inability to look someone in the eye... you'd even cursed on that very first day as he had walked in, something he learned you usually did when you were particularly upset by something...  
  
"I... She's a good person, Sans..." Papyrus struggled with the truth before him.  
  
"maybe... or maybe she's just good at pretending she is. i-" Sans hesitated. "i hate to see you hurt, paps... maybe you're right... maybe she is a good person under it all. but... we just can't be certain right now."  
  
Papyrus remained silent.  
  
"please... i'm beggin' you here, pappy... stay away from her..."  
  
Papyrus shot his brother a look of shock.  
  
"i'm not sayin' forever, necessarily... but at least until we can be certain that the king's wrong about her. that she really didn't do what he thinks she did. i... i don't know what i'd do if asgore was right and she hurt you, bro..."  
  
"I... Alright, Sans... I won't seek her out..."  
  
Sans gave his brother a sympathetic smile.  
  
"thanks, bro. come on... let's get home and try to get some sleep."  
  
With that, the two skeleton brothers trudged down the stairs and left.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You woke from yet another dream... Or what you had originally thought to be dreams. You had started doubting that assumption hours ago. These flashbacks were too real... to coherent...  
  
You thought on what Asgore had said to you last night before you ended up here... He had said you'd betrayed monsters... had betrayed him personally. He said you were responsible for their suffering, and called you a mage.  
  
The images from your most recent dream played through your mind.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
_You, along with six others, stood upon a precipice overlooking a large cave opening. A unit of armed men stood before you, and archers behind, volleying arrows at the figure near the cave entrance. The figure, a monster you knew well, burned the arrows from the air with fire magic, and kept the melee troops at bay with his trident. He stood, tall and regal, with desperate determination in his eyes.  
  
The last straggling monsters hobbled into the cave behind him, and the push began. He was pushed back towards the cave, fighting desperately for every inch.  
Finally, he'd been backed into the cave itself.  
  
"The beast is within! Now, mages!" the order from the decadent man on horseback nearby was given.  
  
You began to focus your power, just as you'd practiced. You felt the power from the other mages flow through you and augment the spell. You shuddered slightly at the power the other mages possessed, then refocused your attention on the spell. You did not dare think of what would happen if it failed.  
  
The barrier began to form... larger... **larger**... these caverns were massive, and the monsters had had days to retreat into its depths... the spell needed to encompass the mountain itself or risk the brunt of their force being outside of it.  
  
The glow of magic caught the attention of the figure. Prince Asgore... No... KING Asgore, now... looked in your direction and locked eyes with you. Shock and horror crossed his face upon recognizing you before it morphed into a look of anger and betrayal. Another volley of arrows was launched, and nearly skewered him. He backed up further.  
  
He straightened himself to his full height, and despite the dirt and blood that stained his tattered clothes, you'd never seen him look more regal and powerful. It was as he leveled one final glare at you, one final look of hatred and defiance, that the spell was completed and the barrier took form.  
  
And the Kingdom of Monsters was relegated to the realm of myths._  
  
\------------------------------  
  
_"These are not dreams..."_ you concluded. _"These are memories..."_  
  
Memories from hundreds of years ago...  
  
Your thoughts immediately turned to what you knew of reincarnation. The rebirth of a soul into a new body upon death. It was the only explanation you could think of. After all, you knew you hadn't lived for hundreds of years. You remembered your childhood for this lifetime. Was it common for people who had been reincarnated to be bombarded with memories from a past life? You didn't think so. Well... maybe... but they'd probably just be considered crazy if they told anyone. The idea of remembering past lives dwelled in the same area as horoscopes to you. Interesting to think about, and fun to pretend, but nothing you would have taken seriously before now.  
  
You reached for the notepad and pen you'd found in the nightstand and added your thoughts to the mishmash of notes and ideas you'd been scribbling down since last night. You then concluded that you really didn't know much about reincarnation besides the basics. You would have to do some research... once you figured out where the hell you were and managed to get home.  
  
You jumped at the sound of a knock on your door.  
  
_"Who the hell could that even be?? No one knows I'm here, and this hardly seems like the type of place that's particularly concerned with housekeeping..."_  
  
You had no real weapons available, so you quickly grabbed the plunger from the bathroom.  
  
_"Heh... if they attack me, maybe I can gross them out with a plunger to the face long enough to relock the door..."_  
  
You opened the main lock, but left the door chain attached and cautiously opened the door. Outside stood the desk clerk from last night. She noticed the plunger and looked amused.  
  
"Hey, sugar. It's nearly evening, and I'm just startin' my shift. Laura told me you haven't left the room all day, so I thought you might be hungry." she held up a small shopping bag with some fruit and a few single-serving boxes of cereal.  
  
"I... thank you..." you were surprised that the woman seemed to care.  
  
"Sarah."  
  
"Thank you, Sarah. "  
  
"It's no problem. You're not the first out-of-towner to blunder in here, lost. Although, you're the first to wander in without a car and with almost nothin' on you. Most don't get this far into this part of town on foot unintentionally."  
  
"Erm..."  
  
"Here. I dug these clothes out of the bins out back. Stuff left behind by other customers, you know? Figured you'd appreciate a chance to feel... cleaner."  
  
She gestured towards your pants, and for the first time, you noticed the dried vomit flaking off the side and back of your pants. Undoubtedly your spilled dinner from last night... And you'd been SLEEPING in it...  
  
Sarah laughed at the grimace on your face.  
  
"Must've been one wild night if you didn't notice that!"  
  
This was humiliating.  
  
"Hoo! Anyway, I was serious last night. If you need anythin', give me a call, alright?"  
  
After handing you the clothes, Sarah turned and started to walk away.  
  
"W-wait!" you called out.  
  
Sarah turned around.  
  
"This is going to sound ridiculous, but... could you tell me where I am?"  
  
Sarah blinked at you for a moment.  
  
"This is the Azure Tides Motel on Summerset Ave."  
  
"W-what city?"  
  
"Sheesh, it really MUST have been a wild night for you!"  
  
You glowered slightly.  
  
"This is Southport, sugar."  
  
You wracked your brain at the name.  
  
_"Southport... Southport... I remember someone at work mentioning it being a popular spot for bar-hopping and gambling..."_  
  
"Uh... How far are we from Ebott City?"  
  
"Not far. 'Bout half an hour's drive. You need me to call you a cab, sugar?"  
  
The idea of going home was very appealing. You hesitated, though. You'd been having these flashbacks all night, and although they were coming much less frequently, you still didn't want to risk having one on the cab ride home... You'd probably wind up being taken to a mental hospital, instead.  
  
And then... there was the possibility of coming into contact with monsters... Since you'd started having these memories, your fear, and the relief you felt when a monster seemed to like you, started to make a lot more sense.  
  
You weren't afraid of them hurting you. You were afraid of them hating you. Rejecting you. Seeing what you had done in your past life and blaming you for their imprisonment, as they should.  
  
In other words, you felt guilty.  
  
You weren't ready to face them again. You might never be ready. Surely, after Asgore recognized your soul, he would have warned his people about you... You didn't know what to do...  
  
"You alright there?" Sarah snapped you out of your thoughts.  
  
"S-sorry. No, I don't need a cab. Not yet."  
  
"No problem. Anything else you need?"  
  
"No, I'm good..." Sarah started to walk away "And... thanks again, Sarah."  
  
She turned and smiled at you before heading back downstairs.  
  
You shut and relocked the door. You knew you couldn't stay here forever. Eventually you'd have to do something.  
  
But for now, you'd settle for a dinner of fruit and cereal, and a desperately needed shower.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The door to your apartment creaked open, and deep sockets glanced around the dark living room. It was the fourth night in a row that Papyrus had been here. The third night that he'd actually ventured inside.  
  
Papyrus felt a bit guilty. He technically wasn't breaking his promise to his brother... He wasn't seeking you out. He was here to make sure that Cleo had food and water. If he happened to run into you while he was doing that, that would hardly be his fault, right?  
  
Papyrus grimaced at his own flimsy excuses. They were less believable than his brother's excuses for why he was always slacking off, and that was saying something. It didn't help the fact that he felt the need to do these visits at three in the morning when his brother was fast asleep.  
  
Papyrus locked the door behind him and made his way to the kitchen, not bothering with any of the lights since he didn't really need them to see. He picked up Cleo's food and water dishes and gave them a quick wash before refilling them. It had taken him until nearly dawn that first night in here to figure out what to feed her. She hadn't seemed inclined to do anything but sniff the sprinkles he'd offered her, and she outright turned her nose up at his homemade spaghetti. Eventually, he'd found a bag and some cans labeled 'cat food' in one of the cabinets.  
  
The next night, after some research on pet care for cats, he'd learned what a 'litter box' was, much to his disgust. Apparently, it was common for non-monsters to produce waste. Still, he'd steeled his resolve and cleaned the box. After that first time, it wasn't nearly as bad, at least.  
  
Oddly enough, Cleo would follow him from room to room, but wouldn't let him touch her. It was odd having her constantly watching him. She seemed to be warring between her wariness of him and her loneliness. He tried enticing her to play, like he'd read about, but she hadn't been terribly enthusiastic about it.  
  
It was then that Papyrus heard a noise from the living room. The sound of a door unlocking. Cleo darted from the kitchen and began meowing while Papyrus stood there, frozen for a moment before making his way next to the doorway to the living room.  
  
"Cleo!" he heard you call out in joy. "I'm so sorry I left you here all alone... C'mon, beautiful. Let's get you some food. You must be starving..."  
  
You walked into the room with Cleo on your shoulder and flicked on the light.  
  
"AAAAH!" you screamed in surprise at the skeleton who had apparently been standing in your kitchen in the dark.  
  
You winced as Cleo dug her claws into your shoulder at your scream, before jumping down and leaving the room.  
  
"P-Papyrus... what are you- how did you get in??"  
  
"I... I PICKED THE LOCK."  
  
"You... know how to pick locks...?" you stared at the sweet skeleton before you.  
  
"NYEH. MY BROTHER GOT ME A LOCKPICKING KIT FOR MY BIRTHDAY ONE YEAR, AND SAID THAT IF I LEARNED TO USE THEM THAT WOULD MAKE ME A **SKELETON KEY**. UGH. HOWEVER, THE JAPE WAS ON HIM, FOR I LEARNED TO USE THEM, GOT INTO HIS ROOM WHILE HE WASN'T HOME, AND CLEANED IT!" Papyrus seemed proud of himself. "... OF COURSE, HE GOT ME BACK BY RECREATING HIS SELF-SUSTAINING TRASH TORNADO IN **MY** ROOM..."  
  
Papyrus realized that he'd gotten off-course.  
  
"BUT THAT IS IRRELEVANT! HUMAN! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN THE PAST FEW DAYS?!" he demanded.  
  
"I..." you shrunk away from Papyrus' anger, refusing to look him in the eye. "It doesn't matter..."  
  
Silenced reigned for several long minutes before Papyrus spoke up again. This time, his voice was quiet and serious.  
  
"The King has accused you of something terrible. Something... heinous," you blanched as he spoke, but remained quiet, "He said... He said you were one of the ones to create the barrier that imprisoned monsters underground, but that's ridiculous, right? You couldn't possibly have done that..."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Right?"  
  
"I... I'm sorry, Papyrus..."  
  
Papyrus looked absolutely devastated. You couldn't bear to look at him like this. You knew he'd hate you... How could he not after what you did? You were the reason he and all his friends had suffered...  
  
The silence in the kitchen was nearly overwhelming, neither of you moving. Neither daring to act.  
  
Papyrus' next question came out as barely a whisper.  
  
"Do... do you regret it?"  
  
Your words caught in your throat. Regret. You were still trying to piece together the events from that lifetime, but you could not recall any happy moments after creating the barrier. Even in this life, before you'd even known the cause, you had felt regret and feared the consequences of your actions. That much was apparent in your fear of being hated by monsters.  
  
But most of all, in this very moment, you regretted the pain you'd caused Papyrus.  
  
"... More than you can imagine..." you whispered back, tears gathering at the corners of your eyes.  
  
You were surprised when skeletal arms wrapped around you in a trembling hug.  
  
"I forgive you." he stated simply.  
  
"W-what? No... How can you possibly forgive me after what I've done??"  
  
"Because you are sorry."  
  
"Sorry doesn't undo the suffering I caused, Papyrus! Monsters were trapped underground **for hundreds of years** because of me! It was... it was my magic that created the barrier. The others, they just enhanced it. Without me... without my cooperation... the barrier never could have been made!"  
  
Papyrus held you tighter as you confessed.  
  
"No, it doesn't change what's been done, but..." Papyrus pulled away to look you in the eyes, a tear-stained smile on his face, his resolve returning. "but you recognize that you've done something wrong, and you want to be a better person, right? "  
  
You nodded, tears dripping down your cheeks.  
  
"THAN THAT'S ALL THAT I NEED!" he beamed. "WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES, _____. EVEN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM NOT INFALLABLE! SOME MISTAKES ARE FAR WORSE THAN OTHERS, YES, BUT THE GREATEST MISTAKE OF ALL IS TO GIVE UP ON SOMEONE WHO TRULY WANTS TO BE A BETTER PERSON! AND THAT IS WHY I'M NOT GIVING UP ON YOU! I KNOW YOU HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE A GREAT PERSON! I'VE SEEN IT IN YOU FROM THE START! AND, AS YOUR VERY GREAT FRIEND, I PROMISE I'M GOING TO BE THERE AS YOU REACH FOR THAT GREATNESS, EVERY STEP OF THE WAY! NYEH HEH HEH!"  
  
You could hardly believe it. After everything that had happened the past few days... After learning about what you'd done... Papyrus refused to abandon you.  
  
No. He didn't simply refuse to abandon you.  
  
Papyrus **believed** in you.  
  
You wrapped your arms around him and sobbed into his t-shirt, releasing some of the stress that had built up since Saturday. He simply held you, rubbing your back and whispering soothing sounds until you were done.  
  
You felt drained, and didn't want to let go, but did anyway. You wiped the remaining tears from your eyes.  
  
"Thank you, Papyrus..."  
  
"DO NOT MENTION IT, HUMAN!"  
  
"But... what about the other monsters... You said you found out about... my actions... from the King?"  
  
"NYEH? WELL... MOST MONSTERS WON'T KNOW. THE KING WANTS TO KEEP IT A SECRET FOR NOW."  
  
"That's... that's good." You weren't sure what you'd do if who you were became common knowledge.  
  
"YES. IT'S JUST THE QUEEN, UNDYNE, DOCTOR ALPHYS, MYSELF, AND MY BROTHER. OH, AND THE ENTIRE ROYAL GUARD."  
  
You winced at that last one.  
  
"The... entire Royal Guard?"  
  
"ER... YES. THEY HAVE BEEN REINSTATED TO PROTECT MONSTERS... FROM YOU..."  
  
There was an awkward silence.  
  
"BUT NOT TO WORRY! ... WELL, UNLESS YOU WERE TO ATTACK ANY MONSTERS... BUT THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE YOU ARE A GOOD PERSON! NYEH HEH."  
  
The awkward silence resumed.  
  
"So... why are you in my apartment at three in the morning, anyway?"  
  
"OH! I WAS MAKING SURE CLEO HAD FOOD AND WATER!"  
  
"Oh! Thanks... but, why at three in the morning??"  
  
"NYEH?! WELL... THAT'S KIND OF BECAUSE... I SORT OF... TOLD MY BROTHER I WOULD NOT SEEK YOU OUT... HE... SORT OF DOESN'T TRUST YOU..." Papyrus glanced away guiltily.  
  
"I... see..."  
  
"NOT TO WORRY, THOUGH! I PROMISED I WOULD STILL BE YOUR FRIEND, AND I'M A SKELETON OF MY WORD!"  
  
"Won't Sans be mad about that?"  
  
"NYEH... HE CERTAINLY ISN'T GOING TO BE HAPPY... BUT HE'LL COME AROUND EVENTUALLY."  
  
The two of you talked about the events of the past few days, and Papyrus even offered to get you a new phone tomorrow, since yours was dead. After a few hours, Papyrus begrudgingly decided it was time to leave before his brother realized he'd been sneaking out.  
  
"I WILL BE BACK TOMORROW EVENING! DO NOT WORRY, HUMAN! I WILL HELP YOU THROUGH THIS TRYING TIME!"  
  
"Thanks, Papyrus. I really don't know what I did to deserve a friend like you..."  
  
A blush stained his cheekbones, and Papyrus left to return home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It'll take more than the unwarranted imprisonment of an entire people for hundreds of years to deter Papyrus' optimism! Which is good news for you, because you'd be pretty much screwed without him.
> 
> Seriously, though. I think we could all use a Papyrus in our lives.


	12. Protective Measures

It had been a couple days since you'd returned to your apartment, and you hadn't had the courage to leave it, since. Thankfully, Papyrus tended to pop in whenever he got a spare moment to sneak away from his brother. He brought you a new cell phone, groceries mostly consisting of spaghetti (although he remembered that you liked to 'mix things up' and brought a few other items as well), and news of the fallout from your reveal as a mage.  
  
Despite their best efforts, rumors about the reappearance of one of the seven mages responsible for the barrier had begun circulating in monster communities. No one was entirely sure how the news had been leaked, but the finer details such as your actual identity remained obscured. It seemed the news hadn't reached the ears of the human half of the city, though. Apparently, monsters were wary of how humans would react knowing they had such a powerful ally against monsters amongst them, and so were careful to keep the news from spreading that far.  
  
It was nearly dawn as Papyrus stepped into the house he shared with his brother and closed the door as quietly as he could. He turned around to sneak back up to his room when the lights flicked on.  
  
"...'sup, bro?"  
  
"S-SANS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP? DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER NIGHTMARE?"  
  
"yeah. it was a real nasty one. dreamt my baby bro was sneaking off at all hours of th' night when he thought i was sleepin'." Sans leveled a disappointed look at Papyrus.  
  
"SANS, I..." Papyrus considered lying, but absolutely hated the idea. Especially to his brother.  
  
"i mean, really, paps? did you think i wouldn't notice?" Sans sighed.  
  
"HOW DID YOU..."  
  
"it was a number of things, really. for one, you've been acting weird the past few days. then, i'd get up to get a drink of water and notice your boots gone. and finally, the guards assigned to keep an eye on _____'s apartment tell me you've been visiting there. a lot."  
  
Papyrus winced. He'd thought he'd been pretty careful, but apparently not careful enough.  
  
"papyrus... you promised me you wouldn't go near her until we were certain she wasn't dangerous..."  
  
"TECHNICALLY, I DIDN'T PROMISE..." Papyrus felt guilty about misleading his brother.  
  
"heh. no, i suppose you didn't." despite the grin on his face, Sans did not seem pleased. "so, you've been visiting her. and given that you haven't exuberantly told me about her innocence, i'm guessin' that the king was not mistaken..."  
  
There was a tense silence between the brothers.  
  
"SHE'S NOT THE TERRIBLE PERSON HE THINKS SHE IS, SANS... SHE FEELS BAD ABOUT IT! REALLY BAD! AND SHE WANTS TO BE A BETTER PERSON!"  
  
"oh, does she now? she tell you this herself?" Sans' grin was tense.  
  
"YES, SHE DID! SHE'S BEEN HOLED UP IN HER APARTMENT FOR DAYS WORRYING ABOUT WHAT TO DO!"  
  
"hah! hate to break it to ya, bro, but she's been lyin' to ya."  
  
"WHAT?! SANS! HOW COULD YOU SAY SUCH A THING?"  
  
"call it instinct. she's bad news, bro. she already turned on one monster who consider her their friend, i don't want to see her turn on you, too. i love ya, bro, and that's why i'm tellin ya to **stay away from her.** ya hear me?"  
  
"I..." Papyrus hesitated, conflicted. "NO."  
  
"what was that?"  
  
"NO, SANS. I WON'T STAY AWAY FROM HER. SHE NEEDS ME. I **PROMISED** I'D STAY WITH HER, AND I INTEND TO DO SO!"  
  
Sans' eye sockets went dark.  
  
"heh... never thought i'd see the day when my baby bro lied to me and then refused to listen to me when i'm just tryin' to protect him..."  
  
Papyrus flinched hard at the cold, pinpoint jab from his brother.  
  
"I'M NOT A CHILD, SANS! I DON'T NEED YOU TO LOOK OUT FOR ME ALL THE TIME!"  
  
Sans closed his eyes.  
  
"can you blame a guy for wantin' to make sure his baby bro is safe?"  
  
Papyrus felt another stab of guilt.  
  
"I... APPRECIATE THAT YOU WORRY ABOUT ME, SANS, BUT YOU ALSO NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF. I KNOW I'M RIGHT ABOUT HER, SANS. I **KNOW** IT. I JUST NEED YOU TO TRUST ME."  
  
"... heh... there really is no arguin' with ya when you set your mind to somethin', is there?"  
  
The two brothers locked eyes for a moment. Papyrus' hopeful and stubborn, and Sans' frustrated and resigned.  
  
"... i trust ya, bro. but that doesn't mean i'm gonna stop worryin' about ya or start trustin' her."  
  
"THANK YOU, BROTHER." Papyrus smiled, relieved. It was a step forward. A small step, but a step none-the-less.  
  
The two headed upstairs to their respective rooms to try and catch up on the sleep they'd missed that night. Just as Papyrus was opening his bedroom door, his brother spoke up.  
  
"ya know, since i was up half the night worryin' about ya, i think i deserve a little somethin' to make up for it."  
  
"UGH. YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE ME BUY YOU DINNER AT THAT GREASE PIT, GRILLBY'S, AREN'T YOU?"  
  
"took the words right outta my mouth, bro." Sans winked.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Papyrus told you about being caught by his brother the next day.  
  
"I'm so sorry! I never meant for you to get into a fight with your brother over me..."  
  
"DO NOT WORRY ABOUT IT, HUMAN! SANS CAN BE A LITTLE PROTECTIVE, BUT IT'S ONLY BECAUSE HE CARES! I AM CERTAIN THAT YOUR SIBLINGS CAN BE THE SAME WAY WITH YOU!"  
  
"Hah, I guess so. Cheryl was always the more bossy over-protective one, while Peter was more about teasing us and stirring up trouble. ... Or reacting when I got him riled up, haha! ... But I know both of them would be at my side in a second if I really needed them." you smiled fondly at the thought of your siblings.  
  
"SO, HAVE YOU TOLD YOUR FAMILY ABOUT YOUR PAST LIFE?"  
  
"Honestly, no. And I don't intend to. The whole concept is so surreal, I'm not sure they'd believe me, anyway. I mean, the idea of reincarnation isn't exactly new to humans, but there's no real proof of it. People would probably just think I'm crazy."  
  
"WELL, YOU COULD ALWAYS DO SOME MAGIC! THAT WOULD PROVE THAT YOU'RE TELLING THE TRUTH!"  
  
"About that, Papyrus... I've tried it... a little bit... while I was gone... and came up with nothing. Besides that teleportation thing I did on the night of the fair, I haven't been able to do any magic at all."  
  
"THAT IS STRANGE. YOU MUST HAVE BEEN VERY SKILLED TO CREATE THE BARRIER, SO WHY WOULD YOU NOT BE ABLE TO USE MAGIC NOW?"  
  
"Maybe I just don't have that kind of power anymore? Or maybe skills just don't carry through to new lives. I don't know."  
  
"NOT TO WORRY, HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, CAN TEACH YOU MAGIC!"  
  
"I... appreciate the offer, Paps, but I'm going to have to pass..."  
  
"NYEH?! WHY?"  
  
"Magic's done nothing but cause me trouble in the past. I really just want nothing to do with it..."  
  
"BUT MAGIC IS A PART OF WHO YOU ARE, HUMAN, JUST AS IT IS WITH MONSTERS!"  
  
You flinched, recalling your memory of Asgore trying to convince you to practice magic. You shuddered slightly at the idea of following that path again.  
  
"Yeah, well, the horrible person who sealed monsters underground is also a part of who I am, but you don't see me wanting to repeat THAT."  
  
"I... I'M SURE YOU HAD GOOD REASON TO DO SO..."  
  
"I don't know... It's hard to remember. I know I was locked up for a while... And something about being pardoned for my crimes if I agreed to help seal monsters away... And the war... So many people died... so many monsters were SLAUGHTERED... There were so few left when the barrier was created..."  
  
There was a heavy silence between the two of you as you became lost in thought.  
  
"Maybe... maybe it was the only way..."  
  
Papyrus watched you solemnly.  
  
"Humans and monsters needed to be separated... There were human casualties, yes, but they were nowhere near as great as the casualties monsters suffered. If the war had continued, monsters may have been completely exterminated..."  
  
Papyrus gave you a soft smile.  
  
"I AM SURE THAT IS THE REASON. YOU WERE IN A TOUGH SITUATION AND HAD TO MAKE A DIFFICULT DECISION. I'M SURE YOU DID THE BEST YOU COULD, UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES."  
  
"Thanks, Papyrus..." you returned his soft smile.  
  
"SO... YOUR VACATION TIME ENDS TOMORROW..."  
  
"Please don't remind me... I don't know how I'm suppose to go back to work after everything that's happened..."  
  
"I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR YOU."  
  
"What??"  
  
"HAVING A BIT OF NORMALCY MIGHT HELP YOU FEEL BETTER! AND BESIDES... YOU CAN'T STAY COOPED UP IN HERE FOREVER."  
  
"I suppose you're right... Gotta pay the rent, somehow."  
  
"THAT'S THE SPIRIT!"  
  
"I just hope I don't run into any monsters while there..."  
  
"EVEN IF YOU DO, THEY WON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE. WELL... EXCEPT DOCTOR ALPHYS..."  
  
"Doctor Alphys??"  
  
You wracked your brain and remembered the shy yellow dinosaur monster from the puzzle gauntlet. The Royal Scientist, you believe Papyrus had said.  
  
"YES. APPARENTLY SHE WORKS FOR THE SAME COMPANY YOU DO, BUT IN A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT. YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT HER, THOUGH. SHE MAY BE EVEN MORE RESERVED THAN YOU ARE!"  
  
All the same, you silently prayed you never ran into her.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Alphys fidgeted nervously in her lab, eyeing the security camera feed on her laptop. She had hacked into the building's security pretty easily. She even wrote a simple facial-recognition program so that the feed would automatically switch cameras to follow you where ever you went in the building.  
  
It wasn't much, but it was a start on her assignment to keep track of you. At the very least, she'd know if you went somewhere in the building that you shouldn't...  
  
She still felt nervous working in the same building as you, though, even six floors above you. Sans had warned Undyne and herself that Papyrus had confirmed who you were and asked for the two of them to keep a particular eye out for his brother's safety. Apparently, in typical Papyrus fashion, he saw only the good in you and refused to keep his distance.  
  
Undyne had tried to convince Alphys to allow her to act as her personal bodyguard at work, but Alphys had gently refused. Monsters were already tense over the reappearance of the mage, it would be too obvious if she suddenly gained a security detail while at work. Besides, it was not like she was entirely defenseless. The first thing Alphys had done after hacking the security feed was secure several possible escape routes. If you decided to come after her, she was fairly certain she could get away before you even arrived.  
  
That said, she still had a number of other security measures she needed to work out. She was currently developing a way to track you magically throughout the city. The members of the Royal Guard were taking turns keeping an eye on you for now, but there was only so much they could do without becoming too conspicuous. There were far too many gaps in their security at present, and it left the King on edge.  
  
Asgore was trying to be patient and calm, but was failing spectacularly. Your reappearance had particularly affected him, and it showed. He'd been calling her at least three times a day to inquire on the progress she was making. It wasn't until Undyne had grabbed her phone at breakfast this morning and, as politely as she could while irritated, told the king that Alphys would call him whenever she made progress, that he'd finally backed off.  
  
Alphys tapped away at her computer for a few minutes longer before seeming satisfied with her code. She started to compile the program and glanced over at the stack of manga sitting next to her. It was tempting... really tempting... Her claw hovered over the stack hesitantly.  
  
"N-no! T-this isn't the time! You need to focus! Monsters are counting on you!" she steeled her resolve, then began to sweat, "O-oh no... m-monsters are c-counting on me..."  
  
She glanced back at the computer to see that the program was done compiling. This was, of course, just a basic proto-type. It would have the ability to track souls and display their coordinates on the screen. She intended to expand upon its features to include a live feed of the soul's location within a 3D map of the city.  
  
Of course, she'd have to test it, first. She attuned the program to her own soul and saw the digital coordinates pop-up on the screen. She tried moving around her lab and was pleased to see the program keeping track of her precise location. That was a good sign.  
  
The next hurdle, however, was attuning the program to your soul without you noticing. She looked back at the security feed that was focused on you at your desk. You'd been paranoid today, jumping at even the slightest thing. This... might be tricky...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus ends probably one of the worst vacations in the history of ever. After all, it's not every day you discover that an entire people hates you for causing them hundreds of years of suffering in a past life. Sometimes, having super powers SUCKS. 
> 
> Fun Fact: I was going to have the argument between Sans and Papyrus end poorly... Sans was going to get angry that Papyrus wouldn't listen to him about how dangerous you are, and Papyrus was going to move into your spare room, giving you the fun guilt trip of being the reason Papyrus was at odds with his beloved brother. But, uh... Sans had his own ideas. Again. Seems pushing Papyrus to the point where he leaves just isn't his style. Of course, this won't stop him from keeping an eye on things...


	13. One Step Forwards, Two Steps Back

You stepped out of your car and hit the button to set the alarm.  
  
_"Another day at work. I don't know what's worse, how boring my work load has been, or the odd looks I've been getting from everyone... Not that I can blame them after I jumped a mile and spilled Jeremy's coffee all over him when he greeted me the other day..."_ you sighed.  
  
You'd been back to work nearly a week now, and couldn't help but notice all the little things and wonder if they meant more than they seemed on the surface. Such as when that conversation had died down when you entered the break room. Was it simply a private conversation, or were they talking about you? Or when no one asked you if you wanted any take-out on Wednesday. Did they realize you weren't a big fan of sushi, or were they excluding you? You couldn't remember if you'd mentioned a preference.  
  
You found it difficult to relax, and so work seemed long and grueling. Jesse had even asked you if you weren't feeling well, yesterday. You'd latched onto the excuse. I mean, you might be fine physically, but mentally you **were** kind of a mess right now. She suggested that you head home if that was the case, and it was tempting, but you'd told Papyrus that you'd go back to work. He was right, after all. You needed a dash of normalcy in your life right now. So, you had told her that you weren't feeling that bad, and would be fine.  
  
As you turned towards the building, you saw a flash of white dart behind a nearby car.  
  
"Wait... was that...?"  
  
You cautiously approached the car and peered around it. Your suspicions were confirmed when you spotted a medium-sized, fluffy white dog. He gazed up at you with huge eyes and ears back against his head. He began to back away.  
  
"Hey, there, big guy! It's alright! See? I'm not going to hurt you..." you knelt and offered your hand for the dog to sniff.  
  
The dog cautiously leaned forward and sniffed your hand. After a tense moment, he seemed to relax and his tail began to gently wag.  
  
"What are you doing in the parking lot like this, huh? Are you lost?" you gently began to pat him.  
  
The dog's tongue lolled out and he leaned into your touch happily, tail picking up its pace. You laughed when he flopped onto his back and wiggled eagerly. You began to pat his belly, which only served to excite him more.  
  
"Haha! Aren't you such a cutie? I bet your family is missing you right now! Let's see if you've got any tags on you..."  
  
You reached for his collar, but before you could check for any tags he jumped back to his feet and bowled you right over, knocking the breath out of you and licking excitedly at your face.  
  
"Ack! Pft! Alright!" you gasped, "Alright! Enough with the doggy kisses! Haha!"  
  
You pushed the over-excited dog away from your face, ruffling the fur on either side of his head, playfully. Suddenly, his ears perked up and swiveled, listening to something. The dog then let out an excited bark and ran off out of the parking lot and around the corner.  
  
"H-hey! Wait! Shoot. Hopefully that was his owner he was running to... I'd hate to think of the poor guy wandering the streets and possibly getting hit by a car..."  
  
You contemplated going to look for him, but with how quickly he'd taken off, you knew you'd never catch up. You decided to cross your fingers and hope for the best. With that, you brushed the dirt off your clothes as best you could and headed in, a little more cheerfully, to work.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"D-did you guys get it? I-is everyone alright? M-my view from the security camera was b-blocked by the car!" Alphys stuttered worriedly to Undyne on the phone.  
  
"Hah! This was an easy task for the Royal Guard! It's all about knowing your opponents weaknesses and using them to CRUSH THEM TO OBLIVION!" Undyne cackled.  
  
Alphys glanced at the security feed, seeing you at your desk, unharmed and seemingly unaware.  
  
"Um..."  
  
"And by that, I mean she's got a soft spot for fuzzy animals, and didn't suspect a thing! You should have seen it! Greater Dog was... well... great! She had no idea the device on his collar was getting a reading on her soul!"  
  
"A-and Greater Dog's o-okay?"  
  
"He's perfectly fine! ... Maybe having a little trouble getting back right side-up in his armor, again, but you know how he gets when someone pets him. "  
  
There was a muffled echoing barking in the background.  
  
"Er... And, apparently, the human gives really good belly rubs, too..."  
  
Alphys sighed in relief.  
  
"That's good... And you have the data I needed?"  
  
"Yep! Don't want to risk the human seeing us deliver this to you, so send me a text when she leaves and I'll stop by your lab, then."  
  
"Thanks, Undyne..."  
  
"And, babe..."  
  
"Y-yes?"  
  
"I know things are stressful right now, but you're doing great- no- AMAZING work! What you've showed me already will take an amazing amount of pressure off the Guards, and the additional features you're working on will ensure that that mage doesn't sneeze without us knowing! When things finally die down a bit, you and I are taking a day off for just the two of us, and having the best anime marathon ever!"  
  
"O-oh! That sounds incredible! I found this new anime I've been meaning to watch about twoboyswhotrytobringtheirmotherbackfromthedeadwithatypeofmagiccalledalchemybutthingsgohorriblywrongandonebrotherlosesanarmandalegandtheotherloseshiswholebodybuthissoulisattachedtoasuitofarmorand-"  
  
"Okay! Okay! Sounds great, but let's save a bit of that for the marathon, eh, babe? See you later! Love you!"  
  
"L-love you, too, Undyne..." Alphys blushed.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"COME ON, HUMAN! YOU NEVER LEAVE THE HOUSE ANYMORE!"  
  
"T-that's not true! I go to work every day, and just yesterday I went and bought groceries!"  
  
"YES, BUT YOU NEVER LEAVE THE HOUSE FOR ANYTHING THAT DOESN'T INVOLVE YOU STARVING OR LOSING YOUR HOME."  
  
"...."  
  
"IT'S BEEN OVER A MONTH, HUMAN. DON'T YOU WANT TO SEE OTHER PEOPLE? FEEL THE SUNSHINE ON YOUR SKIN? THE WIND IN YOUR HAIR?"  
  
"I can feel the wind and sun perfectly fine through the windows. And I don't need anyone else, Paps. I've got you and Cleo."  
  
Papyrus paused briefly before a stunned expression crossed his face.  
  
"OH NO! MY INCREDIBLE FRIENDSHIP IS SO GREAT IT IS FULFILLING ALL YOUR SOCIAL NEEDS AND STUNTING YOUR ABILITY TO HEAL YOUR EMOTIONAL WOUNDS AND REACH OUT TO ANYONE ELSE AROUND YOU!!" Papyrus seemed distressed. "B-BUT DO NOT WORRY, HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, GREATEST OF ALL FRIENDS, KNOW HOW TO FIX THIS! AS PAINFUL AS THIS MAY BE FOR THE BOTH OF US, I MUST RESTRICT OUR SOCIAL TIME TOGETHER SO THAT YOU MAY BRANCH OUT ONCE MORE! FROM NOW ON I WILL VISIT NO MORE THAN TWICE... NO... ONCE A WEEK!"  
  
Papyrus stood from his position on the couch and marched towards the door.  
  
"FAREWELL, HUMAN! I WILL STOP BY AGAIN NEXT WEEK!"  
  
"W-what?! No! W-wait, Papyrus!" you jumped up and latched onto his arm as he was halfway out the door.  
  
He looked down at you and waited patiently as you struggled internally. You REALLY didn't want to go out. You never were much of a social butterfly. Heck, besides Papyrus and the casual friendships you had with your coworkers, you really hadn't made any friends since coming to Ebott City. Even interactions with your friends back home were limited to social media and the occasional texting.  
  
All those times you'd gone to the park, or out to a restaurant, or to the beach since you'd moved here had been for Papyrus' sake. He saw the best in you, and you wanted to prove that he had not misjudged you. Not that you didn't have fun on your outings... You did. Even the ones without Papyrus. But it would have been so much harder to find the motivation to do them without him.  
  
You looked up at Papyrus, gazing into his perplexed eye sockets.  
  
"I-I'll go out, but not without you!"  
  
"ARE YOU SURE, HUMAN? I WOULD NOT WANT TO INTERFERE WITH YOUR RECOVERY..."  
  
"I'm sure... Just... don't leave..."  
  
You felt you might go crazy if he left you to your own devices for too long.  
  
"VERY WELL! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL JOIN YOU ON YOUR OUTINGS... **IF** " he paused to give you a stern look, "YOU PROMISE TO RELAX AND ENJOY YOURSELF!" he grinned.  
  
"Hah... While I can't promise that my nerves won't get the best of me, I will promise to try my best." you gave him a small smile.  
  
"EXCELLENT! NOW, WHERE SHOULD WE GO TODAY?"  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You and Papyrus walked side-by-side through the open-air shopping mall plaza. After some debate, you'd decided you should probably buy your brother, Peter, a present for his birthday in a week. You also planned on getting some new clothes for work, and maybe even splurging on a new game you'd been eyeing.  
  
Papyrus agreed that it would be a good start. It wouldn't involve much social interaction besides dealing with sales associates, but you'd be surrounded by people, which was better than staying holed up in your room.  
  
You took a deep breath as a gentle breeze blew through the plaza. It was nearing the end of September now, and the weather was starting to become cool again, but for right now, it was crisp and comfortable.  
  
"SO, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS WHAT YOU WANT TO GET YOUR BROTHER FOR HIS BIRTHDAY?" Papyrus interrupted your musings.  
  
"Eh? I'm really not sure. He's pretty hard to shop for. A lot of the things he likes are way out of my price range. As much as I'm sure he'd LOVE for me to buy him a new car, or just a new car stereo system, I don't really have that kind of money to throw around," you pondered this briefly, "I usually end up getting him clothing, something pop-culture related or fitting his sense of humor, but I kind of feel bad being so... predictable."  
  
"PREDICTABLE ISN'T NECESSARILY A BAD THING IF HE ENJOYS THEM."  
  
"True, but I'd like to think I know my brother well enough that I can find more than just one thing he likes..."  
  
"I'M SURE YOU CAN! WHAT SORT OF THINGS DOES YOUR BROTHER ENJOY?"  
  
"Well, he loves cars, and he loves music. Most worthwhile things for his car would be too expensive, though, and I don't know what CDs he has, so that's difficult, too," an idea clicked into your head, "Well, it's not really the right season for it, but he also loves to go to the beach. Maybe we could find something he could take with him when he goes out, like a cooler for drinks, or something to play music, or even roasters for toasting marshmallows over a campfire."  
  
"THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEA! LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN FIND! NYEH HEH HEH!"  
  
The two of you went from store to store searching for something that would make a good gift. Most had already cleared out their summer seasonal items and were fully stocked for fall. Eventually, though, you found some clearance items still waiting to be sold. Among them, was a white cooler with a green lid.  
  
"That is perfect!" Papyrus looked at you curiously as you became unusually excited.  
  
Seeing his confusion, you explained.  
  
"I can buy some paints to customize the outside and make it look like a 1-up mushroom from Mario! It's an item in the game that grants an extra life, so if you lose you don't have to start all the way back at your last save point. My brother's always been pretty accident-prone, so we all started joking that he must have built up a lot of extra-lives. It's sort of become his symbol."  
  
"AH! YOU ARE COMBINING HIS ENJOYMENT OF POP-CULTURE WITH HIS FONDNESS OF THE BEACH! AN EXCELLENT FUSION! I'M SURE HE WILL LOVE THAT!" Papyrus beamed.  
  
"Yes! All I'll need is some art supplies to finish the job. Come on, let's buy this thing before someone else does!"  
  
You made your purchase, ignoring the intimidated look the cashier gave Papyrus when you first walked up to the counter. After that, though, you became more aware of the glances you and Papyrus got and the occasional bout of whispering. None of them said anything directly to either of you, nor did any of these people approach you, but it was still annoying.  
  
Papyrus, meanwhile, seemed utterly oblivious to the attentions.  
  
Or, so you thought.  
  
It was as you were watching a couple lean closer together to whisper from the corner of your eye that you felt his hand entwine with yours and give it a gentle squeeze, having slung the cooler under his other arm so he could do so.  
  
You looked up at him, blushing and a bit surprised, only to see the gentle, almost sad look on his face.  
  
"DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THEM. EVERYONE ADJUSTS AT THEIR OWN PACE."  
  
You glanced back at the couple who were now openly staring, seemingly scandalized by the gesture. You straightened up, locked your eyes with them defiantly, and wrapped your arm more thoroughly around Papyrus'. You missed the dusty stain to Papyrus' cheeks at being pulled more closely into your grasp, instead opting to lead the way forward, leaving the gaping couple behind.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
After a bit of hemming and hawing over some new clothes for work (and the embarrassed realization that you'd need to come back later by yourself to shop for undergarments, since you REALLY didn't want to get into that discussion with Papyrus) you settled on a couple new outfits that would hold up better in the coming winter. You also stopped and purchased that game you'd been waiting to play. You couldn't wait to try it out!  
  
You and Papyrus were on the way back to your car (you had staunchly refused to let him drive) when you stopped.  
  
"Uh, hey... Papyrus?"  
  
"HMM?" he turned to look at you, arms laden with bags.  
  
"C-could you go on ahead and put everything in the car? I... forgot something. It'll only be a minute."  
  
"NOT A PROBLEM, HUMAN!"  
  
"Thanks!"  
  
You turned and ran back towards the plaza. You wanted to get Papyrus something to thank him for sticking with you, and you'd spotted just the thing in a shop window while the two of you had been browsing. You were a bit nervous, because it seemed to be a monster-owned shop, but very few monsters knew who you were.  
  
_"What are the chances anyone there will actually recognize me? And, besides... it's been a month and even those who know who I am haven't approached me... I'm... I'm sure it'll be fine. Just a quick step in, purchase what I need, and leave. Papyrus is worth at least that."_  
  
You stepped into the small shop. It wasn't lit very well, and was actually surprisingly musty given that it couldn't be more than a year and a half old. You glanced around and decided that part of that mustiness might be because of all the antiques littering the place. You walked over towards the window where you'd seen the display, and found what you were looking for.  
  
Amongst the various odds and ends was a few copies of a book entitled: "PUZZLES OF THE AGES: A Comprehensive Guide to Puzzles Past and Present". Papyrus had once mentioned reading this book at the Library (which, he pronounced 'librarby' for some reason) but that the only copy available had been badly damaged, and incomplete. Here, it seemed, was a brand new copy, apparently a new edition, too, to include even more modern puzzles.  
  
_"He's going to be so excited when I show him this!"_ you grinned to yourself.  
  
You gave the rest of the shop a quick glance before walking up to the counter to pay. You tensed at the sight of the disturbingly familiar tortoise monster behind the counter.  
  
"Well, hello there! Not too often I get humans in here! Wa ha ha!" he chortled.  
  
_"Remember, he doesn't know who you are. You're just another human. Relax."_ you eased some of the tension out of your muscles.  
  
"U-uh, yeah. I'm, uh, buying a gift for a friend."  
  
"Oh? How thoughtful of you!" the monster rung up your purchase. "Your friend likes puzzles, eh?"  
  
"Y-yeah."  
  
"Good choice, then. Good choice. This friend happen to be a monster?" he smiled handing you your change.  
  
You found yourself relaxing.  
  
"Yes... Yes he is. He's also waiting for me, so I should probably get going. Thank you."  
  
You turned and started walking for the door with your new purchase in hand.  
  
_"Wait 'til Papyrus sees this!"_  
  
"Hope you don't stab **him** in the back, too."  
  
You froze, mid-step, blood draining from your face.  
  
_"Did he just say... No... He couldn't have... I must have misheard..."_  
  
You turned to look back at the tortoise monster. Gone was the friendly smile, and in its place was a snide smirk.  
  
"W-what did you..." you asked, barely above a whisper.  
  
"Eh? Maybe you need to get your ears checked, kiddo. I didn't say anything."  
  
You gave him an incredulous look.  
  
"Well, except that you're a dirty, back-stabbing traitor, that is."  
  
You winced hard.  
  
"Wa ha ha! Did you think I wouldn't recognize you? You may look different than you did hundreds of years ago, but you honestly haven't changed a bit, have you?"  
  
You grimaced as Gerson laughed at you.  
  
"B-but, how..."  
  
"How did I know that you, out of all the humans in this city, were the infamous mage every monster's been talking about?" he sneered at you. "We may not have time to chat nearly as much as we used to, but ol' King Fluffybuns and I go way back. Before I retired, I was his retainer and closest confidant. Or did you forget that?"  
  
You looked away. You remembered. Gerson was one of the few monsters you'd known back then, since he followed his lord everywhere. He was much, MUCH older now, but seemed just as gleefully snarky as ever. You had never, however, heard him use that snark so ruthlessly before.  
  
"Do you even realize just how much you hurt Asgore? How much you hurt ALL of monsterkind? Back underground, I used to describe what the sky and stars were like to the kids, you know. Yep. They'd gather 'round and ask ol' Mr. Gerson what the surface was like because neither they, nor their parents, nor their parents' parents had ever seen it. Generations of monsters born and died in that pit without ever once seeing the sun or stars. I once had a kid ask me if a star was something you could eat! I mean, really?!" he seemed particularly exasperated by the last part.  
  
"I... I never meant to hurt anyone..."  
  
Gerson's face twisted dubiously before he threw his head back in raucous laughter.  
  
"Never meant to hurt us, eh? WA HA HA! That's quite a bold statement! What did you THINK sealing us behind that barrier was going to do?" he sneered.  
  
"N-no! You don't understand! Monsters were being slaughtered! If I hadn't helped create the barrier, monsters would have been eradicated!"  
  
Gerson contemplated your words for a moment before letting out a derisive snort.  
  
"Humph. That would almost be believable if the barrier had been meant to keep humans **out**. Instead, you sealed us inside with no escape, unprotected from any human with murderous intent that wandered in. You're no **hero** , kid. You're just a pathetic, cowardly traitor. I almost feel sorry for you. Ha! ... Almost."  
  
You opened your mouth to defend yourself, but no words came out, and you quickly snapped it back shut. You couldn't deny what he said. It's true, the barrier had only been meant to keep monsters trapped inside, not keep anything out. You could have easily done it the other way around and given monsters a safe haven that they could leave at any time. But the point was, that you hadn't. You had simply latched onto the excuse of protecting monsters to make yourself feel better. The scattered memories of skirmishes between monsters and human armies, the raids on monster villages, the hunting of those who fled... You did not attack monsters yourself in any of those memories, but neither did you lift a finger to help them. If you'd done anything to protect monsters from humans, your life would have been forfeit. You'd put your own life before the lives of the only people who had accepted all of you without question.  
  
You really were a miserable piece of trash.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"AH, THERE YOU ARE, HUMAN! I WAS BEGINNING TO WORRY! DID YOU FIND WHAT YOU NEE-"  
  
You walked right past Papyrus and slid into the passenger-side of your car, still feeling miserable.  
  
"WHAT'S WRONG? DID SOMETHING HAPPEN?" Papyrus peered worriedly at you through the window.  
  
Your only response was to hand him the keys. He watched you for a moment longer before sliding into the driver's side. The drive home was tense and awkward. You noted numbly that Papyrus wasn't such a bad driver when he wasn't "giving 200%".  
  
You arrived back at your apartment and neither of you bothered unloading the car. There was nothing perishable. It wasn't important right now.  
  
Papyrus followed you up to your apartment. You hadn't spoken a word to him since the mall. He watched you walk into your bedroom as he locked the apartment door behind him. He followed cautiously and peeked in through the open door.  
  
You were sitting on the bed, stroking Cleo who had apparently been napping there. He watched, quiet and concerned for a few minutes, until Cleo jumped down from the bed and slipped past him out the door.  
  
You let out a depressed sigh and continued to sit there morosely. He cautiously entered the room. He'd only been in here a few times, usually when you wanted to show him something on your computer, but never without your express permission before. He hesitated only briefly before sitting down next to you.  
  
"DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT?" he offered.  
  
You quietly shook your head. You weren't ready. The realization was too fresh and raw.  
  
"THAT'S ALRIGHT. YOU KNOW, I'M ALWAYS AVAILABLE IF YOU NEED TO TALK, _____."  
  
You nodded slightly, curling up your knees and clutching your arms around them. A few moments later, bony, skeletal arms were wrapped around you and gently soothing your back.  
  
You soon returned the gesture, wrapping your arms around him and leaning into him, the closeness soothing.  
  
The two of you sat there for a while before you shifted further onto the bed, dragging Papyrus with you.  
  
"_-_____??" he stuttered your name questioningly.  
  
"Please, just... just for a little bit..." you responded, voice barely a whisper.  
  
Papyrus allowed you to guide him into laying on his side in the bed. Your arms were then back around him as you cuddled up closely to his front, resting your head in the crook of his neck amongst his scarf. His arms were back around you again, rubbing soothing circles into your back.  
  
Eventually, you fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gerson is the Hammer of Justice, and you just got a full serving of justice straight to your face! Honestly, I kind of love Gerson. In pacifist and neutral runs, he's just generally a goofy, cheerful old man. But in genocide runs, he gives absolutely 0 fucks that you're a genocidal maniac and just boldly mocks you right to your face. In Reader's case here, you may not have actually killed anyone, but you did cause a lot of suffering, especially to his best friend, Asgore. 
> 
> And, in case there are any doubts, he's absolutely right about Reader's motivations. Her true motivations haven't been fully explored yet, but the whole "protecting monsters from extinction" thing was just an excuse thought up after the fact to make her feel better about what she did. It's sort of a central theme, actually, facing the truth and learning to accept it for what it is, even if it is unpleasant. Reader, and others in this story, have a lot of shit to own up to, honestly, as there's no character that understands the full truth of everything that happened during the war. But, sometimes you've got to reopen the wound so that it can finally stand a chance of healing.


	14. Fractures

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was on vacation last week and got a good deal of writing done, both actual chapters and fleshing out where the story is going in the future. 
> 
> So... You guys get a bonus chapter this week! Expect the usual updates on Wednesday and Saturday, too. :)

Undyne wiped some of the splattered tomato off her apron as Papyrus moved onto the next one.  
  
One.  
  
Two.  
  
Three hits before the next tomato was squished. This was concerning. Normally Papyrus utterly decimated each tomato in a single swing. Not only that, but he was pretty much just squishing them. They hadn't even splattered enough to get on her face.  
  
"Alright, punk. What's wrong?"  
  
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, UNDYNE?"  
  
"Your swings are wimpy! Pathetic! Where's all the fury and passion I know you're capable of?!"  
  
"...." Papyrus seemed conflicted.  
  
"Ugh. It's about that **human** isn't it?"  
  
Papyrus simply nodded.  
  
"What'd she do?! I swear I'll fill that mage so full of spears she-"  
  
"S-SHE HASN'T DONE ANYTHING! ... THAT'S THE PROBLEM. I MANAGED TO CONVINCE HER TO GO OUT THE OTHER DAY, AND EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE GOING WELL, BUT THEN SOMETHING HAPPENED AND NOW SHE'S SO DEPRESSED SHE BARELY LEAVES HER ROOM. I'M NOT EVEN SURE SHE'S EATING WHEN I'M NOT THERE!"  
  
Undyne considered her friend. He was entirely too caring, sometimes, especially towards that mage. Her own interactions with her were sparse, and before she found out about the barrier thing she'd almost thought the human was just shy, like Alphys. Heck, she'd latched onto that similarity so much she'd reacted the same way in the alleyway that she would whenever Alphys would have a particularly bad panic attack. But after finding out what that human, that mage, had done... The thought of comparing her to Alphys, to the one she loved, was disgusting.  
  
Undyne struggled not to voice that opinion to Papyrus, though. She'd tried to convince him to stay away from the human. They all had. But the more they'd pushed, the more upset he'd become, and she wasn't about to risk her friendship with him over this. No. Better that she stay as close as possible so that she'd be there if- when, the inevitable fallout happened.  
  
"Maybe you should just give her some time to herself." Undyne grunted.  
  
"...DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT WOULD HELP?"  
  
"Hmph. Maybe. Depends on what her freaking problem is. Either way, hovering over her all anxious clearly isn't doing either of you any good."  
  
Papyrus considered the advice.  
  
"...MAYBE..."  
  
"Look, why don't you go visit Frisk? It's been, what, nearly two weeks? It'll help take your mind off things, and besides, the kid misses you."  
  
"YOU'RE RIGHT! I HAVE BEEN NEGLECTING FRISK! I'M A TERRIBLE FRIEND!" Papyrus gasped, but then became resolute, "I MUST HEAD OVER THERE AND APOLOGIZE IMMEDIATELY!"  
  
Papyrus marched towards the door, but stopped suddenly.  
  
"OH, NO! BUT, OUR COOKING LESSON..."  
  
Undyne gave Papyrus a toothy smile.  
  
"Don't sweat it, nerd. I don't want you in here cooking if you can't give it your all. Just remember, next time I expect 250%!!!"  
  
Papyrus grinned back at his friend, stood up at attention, and saluted.  
  
"YOU HAVE MY WORD! NEXT TIME WE WILL MAKE A SPAGHETTI THAT ECLIPSES ALL OTHER SPAGHETTIS! NYEH HEH HEH!"  
  
With that, Papyrus headed off to see Frisk.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Asgore sighed as he went over the latest incident reports. It seemed those who harbored a hatred for monsters were becoming bolder and more violent by the day. There had been a string of break-ins at monster-owned businesses, with property smashed and slurs painted on the walls. That was bad enough. However, more recently there had been incidents of violence towards monsters, as well. These were still few and far between, but Asgore was no fool. He knew that they were in a precarious position, and that would only make things worse.  
  
When they'd first emerged, he and his human political allies had been able to establish some basic laws that would allow monsters to begin integrating with human society fairly quickly. However, since then things had stagnated. Monsters had very few rights, which made prosecuting crimes committed against them very difficult. Sadly enough, the property crimes were easier to prosecute than the acts of violence, and Asgore knew that once that fact was realized, the humans prone to such would become bolder.  
  
Asgore then glanced down at the status report from Doctor Alphys. She had created her Soul Tracker weeks ago, and had been steadily adding more features. It now featured a 3D display which one could manipulate to zoom in or out of, including detailed buildings, street and business names, and even access to nearby cameras. Her latest additions tracked magical output from the tracked soul, and some basics on stability, strength, and even mood. (Although the last one, she'd warned, was far from perfect and only able to accurately identify extremes.)  
  
Asgore looked over the report on your activities, including some pictures taken by security cameras at a mall. He was already aware that you had entered Gerson's shop, as his friend had called him to ensure him he was safe immediately after the incident. According to this report, the Soul Tracker had been picking up strong waves of depression from your soul after the incident, and a part of him... a teensy, tiny part of him that still remembered the wonder and joy of your meetings... felt sorry for you.  
  
Asgore huffed, trying to shake the feelings of regret. You had made your choice. There was no changing the past.  
  
Asgore put away the paperwork so that it could be stored properly. He had another meeting scheduled for this afternoon to try and sway more human politicians to his side in establishing monster rights. It was imperative that he succeed as quickly as possible. For every monster's sake.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"NYEH HEH! YOU WILL NEVER DEFEAT THE GREAT PAPYRUS! FOR I HAVE NO FOURS FOR YOU TO TAKE, AND YOU MUST THUS GO FISH!"  
  
Frisk picked up another card from the draw pile, adding it to their hand.  
  
"AND FOR MY LAST CARD, DO YOU HAVE ANY SEVENS?"  
  
Frisk grimaced and handed Papyrus the card they'd just picked up.  
  
"THEN I AM OUT OF CARDS! FROM THE LOOKS OF IT, I HAVE MORE PAIRS THAN YOU, FRISK, SO I WIN! NYEH HEH HEH!"  
  
Frisk pouted in a silly, over-dramatic way before giggling and gathering up the cards.  
  
"THAT WAS FUN! ARE YOU SURE YOU DON'T WANT TO JOIN US, FLOWEY?" Papyrus turned to ask the golden flower sitting in a decorated pot on the windowsill.  
  
Flowey turned to Papyrus, his smile bright and friendly.  
  
"Gee, Papyrus, as much fun as that sounds, I'm afraid I'm going to have to pass. Besides, I don't have any hands to hold the cards, anyway!" he wiggled his leaves a bit, a slightly bitter look crossing his face.  
  
Frisk raised an eyebrow, knowing that Flowey was fully capable of using his vines and magic to do something as simple as hold cards. Papyrus knew this, too, since he'd played card game with the both of them before. Both decided to let the excuse for not wanting to play slide, though.  
  
'We could play something else.' Frisk suggested.  
  
"THAT'S A GREAT IDEA! WHAT DO YOU THINK, FLOWEY? IS THERE SOMETHING IN PARTICULAR YOU'D LIKE TO PLAY?"  
  
Flowey considered for a moment.  
  
"Well... I did hear of this one card game called Bullshi- er.. called Cheat. It's a game about bluffing as you try to be the first to get rid of your cards." Flowey had a bit of a devious look on their face. They knew Papyrus was no good at lying.  
  
"I DON'T THINK I'VE PLAYED THAT ONE. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE RULES?"  
  
"Why, of course, Papyrus! Frisk, why don't you shuffle and pass out all the cards while I explain?" Flowey smirked as Papyrus placed his pot down on the floor next to them.  
  
"It's simple. We divide up all the cards, then take turns putting down cards in order, from Ace to King, face down. You can play as many of your cards as you like, so if you're on sevens and you have three of them, you can play three sevens. However, you must always play at least one card."  
  
"WHAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY SEVENS?"  
  
"Then, you lie," Flowey said, and Papyrus gasped, "You can lie about what cards you're putting down at any time, but it's at a risk. If someone calls out 'Cheat' and you are caught lying, you have to take the WHOLE pile! If they're wrong, though, THEY have to take it. Understand everything?" Flowey smirks.  
  
"I THINK SO."  
  
Frisk nods as well.  
  
"Alright, let's get this started then, shall we?"  
  
The three of them played a few rounds, and Papyrus failed spectacularly, just as Flowey had predicted. Papyrus did not like to lie about what cards he was playing, and when he did it was pretty obvious. Frisk, on the other hand, turned out to have an amazing poker face, and knew Flowey well enough that he really had to work to trick them.  
  
Flowey decided a distraction tactic was required.  
  
"So, Papyrus... How's that other human friend of yours doing? You know, the one everyone HATES?"  
  
Frisk shot Flowey a scolding look as Papyrus frowned sadly.  
  
"NOT SO GOOD, I'M AFRAID. SHE'S BEEN VERY SAD LATELY, AND I CAN'T SEEM TO CHEER HER UP."  
  
'Did something happen?' Frisk gave Papyrus a concerned look.  
  
"I THINK SO, BUT SHE DOESN'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT."  
  
'Maybe I could talk to her? I really want to see her again! She was nice!'  
  
Papyrus smiled at Frisk. At least one of his friends agreed with him about her.  
  
"I'M SURE SHE'D LOVE TO SEE YOU AGAIN, FRISK! ... BUT DIDN'T YOUR MOM SAY YOU WEREN'T ALLOWED?"  
  
Frisk grimaced. This wasn't the first time they'd suggested going to see you, but their mom had expressly forbidden it.  
  
'She's... just afraid, is all. She thinks _____ is dangerous. But she's not dangerous, right Papyrus? My mom is just being over protective.'  
  
"NO... SHE'S NOT DANGEROUS... BUT I'M STILL NOT GOING TO GO AGAINST YOUR MOM'S WISHES AND TAKE YOU TO SEE HER. IT'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THEY SEE WHAT WE SEE."  
  
Frisk sighed, knowing there was no arguing with their friend. They also didn't want to worry their mom TOO much. As much as they tried to hide it, Frisk knew that things between monsters and humans weren't going well, and they didn't want to add to their mom's stress.  
  
"Two threes." Flowey placed the last of his cards down.  
  
Frisk refocused on the game. When had Flowey gotten rid of so many cards? And they knew Papyrus had the three threes they'd placed down the last time through.  
  
'Cheat!' Frisk declared, revealing a three and a king.  
  
"Dammit! So close!"  
  
"FLOWEY! LANGUAGE!"  
  
Flowey just grumbled as they gathered up the pile of cards.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Alphys fiddled with her claws, lost in thought as she lounged curled up on the couch watching anime, her girlfriend's arm resting around her shoulders. She was startled when Undyne burst out laughing at whatever had just happened on the screen.  
  
"BWA HA HA! Did you see the look on his face when she hit him with the guitar?! That was AWESOME!"  
  
"O-oh? Yeah..."  
  
"What's wrong? You've been awfully distracted."  
  
"I-it's nothing! Really!"  
  
Undyne gave her best 'I know something's wrong, so just tell me,' look.  
  
"W-well... I've been thinking about the human..."  
  
"Oh, no. Not you, too."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Papyrus was totally distracted from our cooking lesson earlier. He was seriously a mess, and not in the 'punching tomatoes into paste' way, either." she explained.  
  
"Oh..."  
  
"So, what about the human has got YOU all distracted? I know it's your job to monitor her and make sure she doesn't try anything, but I thought you had it set up to do most of that automatically and just warn you if something's amiss?"  
  
"Well, yes, I do... But I noticed with my last status report to the King that the human isn't... acting like I expected..."  
  
"What do you mean? Are they making their move?!"  
  
"N-no! But... that's just the thing. They haven't done anything. They've been avoiding most people, they barely go out, and their magic levels have been so low I can barely tell that it's there at all!"  
  
"So, what's the problem, then?"  
  
Alphys fidgeted, knowing Undyne wouldn't like what was to come next.  
  
"They... had an encounter with Gerson in his shop last week..."  
  
"WHAT?! And you didn't tell me?! When I get my hands on her-"  
  
"N-nothing happened! G-Gerson's fine!" Undyne began to calm, "I-if anyone came out the worse for wear, it was the human..."  
  
"Hah! I knew that old tortoise still had it in him!" Undyne grinned triumphantly.  
  
"A-apparently, he confronted the human on what she did during the war... S-she tried to defend her actions, saying she didn't mean to hurt anyone, but he tore her argument apart..."  
  
"Like there's any excuse!"  
  
"Ever since then, she's become even more reclusive than before... And the Soul Tracker has been picking up on her depression..."  
  
Undyne considered this. Alphys had told her that the tracker could only pick up on particularly strong emotions...  
  
"I-I think... Undyne... W-what if she really DOES regret everything that happened... W-what if Papyrus is right a-and she's really not as bad as we all think?"  
  
Undyne scowled at that.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous, Alph. Even if she DID regret it, it doesn't change what she did! What she did was horrendous!"  
  
Alphys looked away, ashamed.  
  
"... She's not the only one to have done something horrible that she regrets..."  
  
Undyne grabbed hold of Alphys, turning the reluctant dinosaur to face her and speaking firm, but gently.  
  
"Hey, hey now... None of that. You and I both know that wasn't your fault. You never meant for the stuff that happened in that lab to turn out the way it did. You were only trying to help free us all. Besides, those monsters may be different now, but they're still monsters. They're with their families now who are all glad to have them back."  
  
Alphys sniffled, trying unsuccessfully to hold back her tears.  
  
"I-it still doesn't change what I did..."  
  
Undyne pulled Alphys in close and began to soothe her as best she could. Eventually, Alphys' sniffling died down.  
  
"There, now. Feeling better?"  
  
"A-a little..."  
  
"Come on. I know what will cheer you up! I think I still have some of that seaweed ice cream you made for me in the freezer. Let's pull that sucker out and have us a Mew Mew Marathon until we pass out!"  
  
Alphys smiled slightly at Undyne.  
  
"O-ok..."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Sans rolled his shoulder a bit before settling into his usual spot on the roof of your apartment. He had at least an hour or two before his brother would return home after his play-date with Frisk. He hoped visiting the kid would improve his brother's mood. He'd been pretty down lately, and Sans was really beginning to worry.  
  
You may not have caused his brother any physical harm, but the emotional strain was weighing heavily on him.  
  
Sans glanced on the Soul Tracker program Alphys had loaded onto his phone for him. You were in your apartment, as usual, with your soul readings indicating an overall weaker, depressed stance. It hadn't changed much since last week. You still managed to drag yourself to work, somehow, but you hadn't done anything else, not even go to the grocery store.  
  
What was he going to do? You were clearly depressed about something, and you were dragging his brother down with you. Sans was familiar with the hopelessness of depression, but he'd handled it differently than you. He'd put on a fake smile and gone through the motions of what was expected of him, grinning and joking, all to hide it from the people around him. A lot of people in Snowdin had done that, honestly.  
  
You, however, stayed holed up in your room. Something had to be done to break you out of your funk before the weight of it crushed both you and Papyrus. Some spark. Some catalyst to boost your Determination. But what?  
  
Little did Sans know, that just such a catalyst would present itself sooner rather than later.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You shuffled your way out of work the following day after another tedious workday. Your boss had spoken to you about your recent productivity. He was concerned because it had begun to flag despite you working through lunch. You had allowed the usual numbness you'd begun to feel at work protect you and simply shrugged when he inquired about it. It wasn't bad enough that your job was in danger. Yet. So, he'd let you go with a warning.  
  
At least the scolding meant you hadn't needed to deal with the awkward goodbyes to your coworkers today, as the office had emptied out by the time you were done.  
  
You pressed the button to disable the alarm on your car and were about to get in when a sharp clang caught your attention. You looked up and realized you could hear a muffled array of sounds and angry voices coming from the alleyway down the side of the building where the dumpster was located.  
  
You started to get into your car again.  
  
_"It's probably just someone digging through the garbage again. It's none of my business."_  
  
The sound of someone crying out briefly, though, stopped you again.  
  
_"I-it's none of my business. I should just leave."_  
  
But you couldn't stop staring at the entrance to the alley. It sounded like someone was being hurt. If that was true, it'd be foolish to go investigate. What if they attacked you, too? But, at the same time, could you really just leave knowing that something was wrong?  
  
Your thoughts turned to those ancient memories. All those times you'd stood back and did nothing as innocent monsters were hurt.  
  
_"No... I'm not like that! Not anymore! I won't... can't just stand back anymore if I want to truly be better. I won't disappoint Papyrus like that."_  
  
Your heart thudding in your chest, you nervously approached the alleyway, and glanced down it. There were several grown men surrounding someone on the ground. Some of them were holding the victim down, while the others took turns throwing punches and kicks. Each blow elicited a grunt from the victim, muffled by the dirty red cloth wrapped firmly around his head.  
  
"Fucking FREAK!" a swift kick to the downed man.  
  
"Hey! Make sure that gag doesn't come off again!"  
  
One of the thugs pinning the man tightened the cloth encompassing the victim's head, giving him a firm punch as well.  
  
"God! What a gullible moron!" laughed one of the men standing to the side. "So eager to help! Well, thanks for helping us relieve some FRUSTRATION!" he stomped on the victim.  
  
"MMPH!" the victim tried to yell something, nearly bucking one of the men holding him down.  
  
"Shit! Don't let him get loose!" another thug joined the pile holding the victim down.  
  
"You shouldn't have come here you fucking beast! Time to show you your PLACE!"  
  
One of the men lifted his foot, preparing to stomp down with all the force he could muster on the victim's leg.  
  
The victim's thin, white, boney leg. That red cloth. Those clothes. Your mind froze at the realization.  
  
_"No..."_  
  
"NO!!!" you shouted as you launched yourself around the corner and tackled the man intent on breaking Papyrus' leg.  
  
The man was caught off guard and completely off-balance, and the two of you tumbled to the ground across the dog-pile of people.  
  
You landed with a grunt, and quickly scrambled back to your feet as you realized what you'd just done. You now stood in an alleyway, out of sight of the public eye, with five thugs staring you down.  
  
One of the thugs, the one you'd knocked down, was back on his feet, and he was pissed.  
  
"That was a real fuckin' stupid move, bitch..."  
  
He lunged for you. You tried to dodge, but he was too close and got a fistful of your hair.  
  
"AAH!" you cried out as he yanked your hair to pull you towards him.  
  
"MM-MMPH?!"  
  
The sound of your cry caused Papyrus to renew his struggles. The three men on top of him had to once again focus on keeping him pinned.  
  
Meanwhile, you struggled against your own assailant, kicking, scratching, and biting at anything you could reach. He slammed you into a wall and followed up with a swift punch to the ribs, knocking the air from your lungs. You began to wheeze, desperate for breath.  
  
You curled in on yourself the best you could as the man rained more punches and kicks on you.  
  
The remaining thug had taken it upon himself to return to beating Papyrus.  
  
You were thrown to the ground and kicked mercilessly.  
  
"Fuckers like you are the reason these monsters think they can come in and take what's ours! You should be put down with the rest of these freaks!" another kick to the ribs.  
  
Movement caught your attention, and you saw the man who was beating Papyrus had found a brick. He brought it down on Papyrus' skull with a sickening crack.  
"MMAAUUUUPPHHH!!" Papyrus wailed, choking on his own scarf wrapped around his head.  
  
You winced as you were kicked again, and saw the man with the brick had raised it again, readying another blow.  
  
_"He'll kill him!"_ you panicked.  
  
"P-PAPYRUS!" you cried out as the brick was brought down with deadly intent.  
  
Papyrus felt a pulse of energy around him, and his attackers were thrown off. It had been so quick, so brief, that none noticed the field of translucent white energy that had shoved all the attackers, nor did they see the brief glow of magic emanating from you.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
On the 8th floor of the building, Alphys yelped and fell out of her chair at the sudden alarm that started sounding. She looked around in confusion before realizing it was coming from the Soul Tracker.  
  
"O-oh no!" she rushed over to it to see what had triggered it.  
  
Bold letters indicated a spike in magical activity from you. The first she'd seen since creating the Soul Tracker. She clicked the button acknowledging the message and information on your location and status popped up automatically.  
  
"S-she's still in the building... No... wait... that's next to the building..."  
  
She clicked the next tab which would contain any available camera feeds or other data, and gasped in horror.  
  
The security camera in the dumpster's alley showed a gruesome scene. You were scrambling along the ground as five men struggled to contain a battered-looking Papyrus, who was currently fighting his way to his feet.  
  
"OH MY GOD!!" Alphys exclaimed, diving for her company phone and dialing the extension for the security office.  
  
"Hello?" the guard on the other side answered.  
  
"T-there's an assault happening i-in the dumpster alleyway! Get there NOW!" She yelled into the phone.  
  
There was a brief pause as the guard did something, presumably checking the camera, before she heard him curse and hang up.  
  
Alphys tried to calm her breathing, but it just wasn't happening. She desperately wanted to help, but she knew she was useless in a fight. She'd done all she could, now, and turned back to the camera feed praying it wasn't too late.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Back in the alleyway, you scrambled out of the way as Papyrus threw one of the men trying to beat him back down, across the alley. He had managed to pull his scarf from his face, and was halfway to his feet. The man he'd just thrown grunted and tried to stand back up, but was encased in blue magic and slammed back into the ground.  
  
The other men cursed as they tried to kick Papyrus' legs out from under him and pull him back to the ground but weren't having much luck against the skeleton's superior strength.  
  
A door slammed open nearby, and several armed guards rushed out into the alley.  
  
"Fuck!"  
  
"Scatter!"  
  
The thugs, now outnumbered and vastly outgunned, scattered and fled, leaving their one cohort pinned to the ground by Papyrus' magic.  
  
Several of the guards gave chase, while the others remained behind to detain the one captured thug and check on the injured.  
  
"Papyrus!!" You scrambled to your feet and launched yourself at Papyrus, staggering him, and missing him cringe and clench his teeth.  
  
His arms came around you and you felt them twitch as he restrained himself from hugging you too tightly.  
  
"_____! YOU'RE HURT!" he gently ran a thumb along a developing bruise on the side of your face.  
  
"So are you... Papyrus... That brick... They almost KILLED you..."  
  
You reached up and gently ran your fingers along a long crack running up from his right eye socket towards the top of his skull. He winced, but did not pull away.  
  
"THE GREAT PAPYRUS CANNOT BE DEFEATED THAT EASILY, _____!" Papyrus tried to grin at you, but it came out as more of a grimace.  
  
"We've got the police and ambulances on the way. Are you two alright?" one of the guards asked.  
  
"I AM FINE, BUT I'M AFRAID MY FRIEND MAY NOT BE."  
  
"What?? Don't brush it off like that! You took more of a beating than I did! They were already beating the hell out of you when I exited the building! What were you even doing here, anyway?" you scolded.  
  
"WELL, I WAS GOING TO SURPRISE YOU WITH SOME OF MY ARTISAN'S SPAGHETTI, TO TRY AND CHEER YOU UP, BUT WHEN THOSE MEN ASKED ME TO HELP THEM..." he gestured to the container on the ground nearby, spaghetti splattered all around it.  
  
You sighed, exasperated.  
  
"Papyrus, sometimes you're just too innocent for this world..." you poked him in the chest.  
  
Papyrus let out a sharp hiss as his battle body shifted ominously under your poke.  
  
"P-Papyrus? You really are badly hurt, aren't you?!"  
  
"N-NOTHING I WON'T RECOVER FROM..."  
  
You narrowed your eyes at the skeleton who studiously avoided meeting your glare.  
  
It wasn't long before the first ambulance arrived, but both of you were being too stubborn to be the one to take it, so it wasn't until the second one arrived that you both made your way to the hospital.  
  
Thus began a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That sure as hell wasn't the catalyst Sans, or anyone, was hoping for, even if it was pretty effective. You also got to see first-hand just how strong Papyrus is. Seriously, the only reason he never made it into the Royal Guard was because he's just too sweet of a cinnabunny. (Consequently, although it's not related to this fic, Underfell Papyrus lacks this sweetness, which is why he's such a terrifying badass.) 
> 
> Also, Alphys is finally starting to show her doubts that you're the terrible person everyone but Papyrus says you are. The first cracks in that wall of hatred have finally appeared.


	15. The Road to Recovery

Alphys let out a shuddering breath as she recalled the brief conversation she'd had with Sans immediately after the incident. Sans' portable version of the Soul Tracker had its limits, and wasn't able to access camera feeds beyond a 100 yard range, so, when he'd called her after his alarm went off, he'd had no idea what the circumstances of the magical outburst were. As soon as she'd mentioned that Papyrus and the human had been attacked in an alleyway, he'd appeared behind her, eye sockets dark and demanding to know where his brother was. She had been so unnerved she hadn't been able to get out a single coherent sentence, and had settled for motioning to the video feed which showed Papyrus and the human getting into the ambulances.  
  
From what she'd heard, Sans had given the hospital staff a real hard time when they'd tried to shoo him out after visiting hours ended last night, until Papyrus had scolded him for it.  
  
Alphys glanced over at Undyne as they entered the hospital. She looked tired, but determined. When Alphys had told her what had happened, Undyne had been ready to gather the Royal Guards and hunt down the escaped thugs herself, no matter how cold the trail was. It had taken a bit of work to convince her to focus instead on Papyrus, knowing that if she did find the thugs, it'd probably end in violence, and with monsters not recognized as full-fledged citizens under the law... Visiting hours had ended before they had a chance to get to the hospital, so Undyne had taken the opportunity to stay up half the night cooking what she'd called "the ultimate spaghetti" for Papyrus. Alphys, too, had been up half the night making sure Undyne didn't burn down the building.  
  
A brief chat with the receptionist had them on the way to Papyrus' room. When they got there, the room was already pretty crowded. Sans, of course, had been back the moment visiting hours had began for the day. He sat at Papyrus' bedside with several books in his lap ranging from The Adventures of Fluffy Bunny to Famous Puzzles and Pranks: An Analytical Guide to Japes Across the World. Then there was Frisk, Flowey, and both the King and Queen. They had brought flowers, tea, and a number of games to help Papyrus while away the time.  
  
There even appeared to be a lavish flower arrangement with a note card in bold, flowing handwriting stating, 'To my biggest fan, may your recovery be swift, darling! - <3 Mettaton'. So, it seemed that Mettaton had remembered just how much Papyrus had fawned over him at last year's Christmas party.  
  
"Yo! What's up, punk?!" Undyne shouted as she strode into the crowded room. "How you feeling?"  
  
Papyrus had to turn his head to see her properly, since the right half of his skull was covered in bandages. He honestly looked like a wreck, but that did not stop the immense grin that spread across his face.  
  
"HELLO, UNDYNE! HELLO DOCTOR ALPHYS! I AM WELL!"  
  
"Sheesh! If this is doing well, don't ever let me see you NOT well, nerd!" Undyne joked awkwardly, unsure what to do with her hands as she resisted the urge to rough house and potentially exasperate Papyrus' injuries.  
  
"W-we brought you some g-goodies. I-I made you some cookies, and Undyne made spaghetti."  
  
"Not just ANY spaghetti! I put everything I had into making this ultimate spaghetti! When you eat it, you'll be so energized YOU'LL EXPLODE INTO PERFECT HEALTH!!" Undyne cackled and posed dramatically.  
  
"heh. you guys still have a kitchen left after that one, or did you manage to burn the whole neighborhood down?" Sans grinned.  
  
"T-the kitchen is fine. If a bit messy." Alphys smiled back.  
  
"WOWIE! THAT SOUNDS AMAZING, UNDYNE! I CANNOT WAIT TO TRY THE FOOD YOU TWO BROUGHT!" Papyrus grinned excitedly.  
  
"Just what we need. An exploding skeleton. Maybe you should try it first, **Sans.** " Flowey sneered at Sans.  
  
"after you, **weed.** "  
  
"SANS! BE NICE!"  
  
Frisk turned to Flowey and scolded them for picking on Sans, especially while Papyrus was hurt.  
  
"Yeah, yeah." Flowey grumbled.  
  
Alphys began to examine the chart at the end of Papyrus' bed. Among his injuries were a large fracture in his skull, several broken ribs, fractured left ankle, fractured radius in his right arm, dislocated shoulder, sprained wrist, and a number of other lesser scrapes. Those men had really done a number on him. The human doctors at this hospital had done a good job patching him up, but nothing could compare to what a little monster medicine would do for him. Their food had natural healing properties, including boosting a monster's magic which allowed them to heal at an accelerated rate. What would take humans a month to recover from would take a monster only a week with a good diet. Of course, humans could recover from far more grievous wounds than monsters could. She'd read some absolutely astounding articles about it.  
  
While Alphys had been lost in thought, the group had gotten into a rowdy discussion about their favorite TV shows. She gave the group a small smile. They really were a tight-knit group of friends.  
  
Her throat feeling parched, Alphys excused herself to try and find a vending machine. Not seeing one nearby, she headed back towards the lobby where she'd seen one earlier. It was certainly more expensive than she liked, but beggars couldn't be choosers, she supposed.  
  
She was taking a sip of her soda and about to head back to Papyrus' room when she overheard a voice.  
  
"Excuse me. What room is Papyrus the Skeleton staying in?" you asked the receptionist.  
  
Alphys ducked around the corner, peeking out to get a look at you. You had a rather nasty bruise on the side of your face, and a few bandages on your bruised arms. She also noticed that you were standing rather stiffly. You probably had more injuries beneath your clothes, but it was hard to tell.  
  
"Room B12. Head upstairs, left down the hall, and it'll be the fourth door on the right." the receptionist droned.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
You'd barely taken two steps when your phone began to ring. Alphys peeked around the corner at you as you stopped to answer it.  
  
"Hello? ... Hi mom. ... I'm feeling about as well as can be expected today. ... No, really. I'm fine. ... No, you don't need to come over. It looks worse than it actually is. ... No, I'm not at home right now. I'm at the hospital- ... I said I'm fine, mom! I'm just visiting my friend. ... Yes, the one who was with me last night. ... I don't know how he's doing, mom, I haven't had a chance to go see him. ... I'll let him know you wish him well. ... Tell everyone at home I love them. ... And tell Peter Happy Birthday, for me! I've got a gift for him, but it's going to be a bit late... I love you, too, mom. I'll talk to you later. ... Bye."  
  
You hung up your phone and rounded the corner, pausing briefly as you thought you saw movement, but just shrugged it off and continued slowly and stiffly making your way up the stairs. As you approached room B12, you heard the large number of voices drifting out into the hallway. You came to a stop.  
  
_"Shit... all his friends must be visiting him right now... I really should have expected that... I can't go in there with them all there..."_  
  
You grimaced at the situation you found yourself in. You wanted to see Papyrus, but you knew you wouldn't exactly be welcomed by anyone but him... You could wait, but there was no way for you to know when they'd leave, and you suspected that at least his brother would stay the entire day, given what Papyrus told you about him. Should you wait until then? How long would that even take? As you floundered in indecision, you were approached from behind.  
  
"E-excuse me..."  
  
Your head whipped around, and upon seeing the yellow dinosaur you jerked away in surprise, which then turned into groaning in pain as you clutched your bruised ribs.  
  
"O-oh! I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to startle you! A-are you alright?" Alphys flailed helplessly.  
  
"Yeah... I think so..." you grunted, trying to avoid breathing too deeply and stressing your injuries.  
  
"Y-you're _____, right? I-I'm Alphys. W-we met at the fair?" she seemed awkward and unsure of herself, and was clearly trying not to stare at the nasty bruise on your face.  
  
You nodded in acknowledgement, looking away and wincing at the mention of the day your life had gone to hell.  
  
"A-are you here to visit Papyrus?"  
  
"Well... that was the plan, but..." you trailed off, looking back towards the door where you could hear Papyrus and his friends.  
  
"A-ah! I see. I-it must be very difficult w-with so many people in the room..." Alphys gave you a sympathetic look.  
  
An awkward silence stretched out between the two of you before Alphys spoke up again.  
  
"H-he speaks very well of you, you know. P-Papyrus, that is!"  
  
A soft smile crosses your face at the thought of Papyrus boasting about you.  
  
"I'm not surprised. I don't think Papyrus would speak unkindly of anyone..."  
  
"Perhaps not... B-but I think he might be right about you..."  
  
You finally returned your gaze to Alphys. She had her own gaze averted and was fiddling with the cap on her soda nervously.  
  
"You... do?"  
  
"Y-yes! I mean... I heard a-about your confrontation with Gerson... A-and that you've been feeling really down since then... and... a-and then I saw the security f-footage from outside MEET Co. yesterday! Y-you rushed right in there to s-save him just like Mew Mew did in episode 14 of the beach arc where..." Alphys trailed off and blushed furiously upon realize that she was rambling again.  
  
"W-what I mean to say is, you were very brave to rush in there like that..."  
  
You gave a light chuckle, a small smile on your face.  
  
"Funny... Everyone else has been telling me how foolish that was..."  
  
"T-the point is, I doubt you would have done that if there wasn't at least some good in you..."  
  
"Thanks??"  
  
"O-oh! That came out all wrong! T-that was a really rude thing to say! W-what I really meant to say was-"  
  
"It's alright! Really! I... understand what most monsters must think of me..."  
  
You glanced away again, slightly depressed.  
  
"I-I... I mean, w-would you..."  
  
You glanced back at Alphys as she struggled to find the right words.  
  
"W-would you like to be... friends?"  
  
You stared at Alphys, dumbfounded.  
  
"O-of course, if you d-don't want to, I-I perfectly understand! I-it's not like I wasn't one of the ones w-who thought poorly of you at first..."  
  
You continued to stare at the nervous dinosaur. She... wanted to be your friend?  
  
A few tense moments passed, and Alphys grew increasingly anxious. Finally, just before her flight response could kick in, you quietly spoke up.  
  
"I... sure. If you... if you really want to..."  
  
"I-I do!" She smiled at you, looking a little excited, but mostly relieved.  
  
Another stretch of silence lingered between the two of you, neither quite sure how to proceed.  
  
"..."  
  
"..."  
  
"..."  
  
"... So... do you like... anime?" Alphys grinned nervously at you.  
  
"Um... yeah, actually... I do." You perked up.  
  
Alphys' eyes brightened, and she began to speak rapidly. "Have you seen Mew Mew Kissy Cutie? It's my favorite anime and it's so amazing! Although Mew Mew 2 is utter garbage and has no place in canon as far as I'm concerned! The movies though are really good! There's even a new one coming out in a few weeks that I've got pre-ordered with same day delivery! I cannot wait until it arrives!"  
  
Suddenly, the stuttering, nervous dinosaur was replaced with a happy, excited anime nerd eagerly going on about her favorite show. She looked at you eagerly to see your response.  
  
"I don't think I've seen it, actually..."  
  
"What? You really should watch it! It's amazing! Though, like I said, avoid Mew Mew 2. It's terrible." her expression soured at the mention of Mew Mew 2. "So... What's your favorite anime?"  
  
You chuckled.  
  
"That's a really tough question. There's so many good ones, I'm not sure I could narrow it down to just one. I mean, some of my favorites include Fullmetal Alchemist, Soul Eater, and FLCL to name a few."  
  
"I just watched Fullmetal Alchemist a couple weeks ago! It was really good!"  
  
"I know, isn't it?! I cried because of poor Hughes and Nina-Alexander..."  
  
"Me, too!"  
  
"So, what's your favorite Miyazaki movie?" you asked.  
  
"W-what movie??"  
  
"Hayao Miyazaki? You know, Studio Ghibli?"  
  
"Um... I don't think I've seen any..."  
  
"You've... never seen a Studio Ghibli film?" you were shocked.  
  
"N-no? Are they good?"  
  
"Are they good?! Studio Ghibli's only one of the most legendary animation studios there is! You should look them up! You won't be disappointed! Maybe I could even let you borrow some of mine..."  
  
"That sounds like a good idea! And I'll let you borrow my Mew Mew box set!"  
  
"Sounds like a deal!" you grinned.  
  
The two of you turned towards the door to room B12 at the sound of Alphys' name.  
  
"Where's Alphys? She's been gone an awful long time." Undyne's voice drifted through the door.  
  
"The hospital seems like a safe place. Perhaps she simply made a wrong turn on her way back?" Toriel's motherly voice responded.  
  
"Shit!" you became nervous once again.  
  
Alphys' expression softened.  
  
"I understand if you don't want to face all of them... It can be quite terrifying..." Alphys soothed.  
  
"But I don't want to just leave without seeing Papyrus..." you clutched a bag you'd been holding closer to yourself.  
  
"Is that... a gift for him?"  
  
"Yeah... I bought it last week, but couldn't drag myself out of my slump to give it to him... I figured it might give him something to do until he's discharged from the hospital, though..."  
  
Alphys considered the situation.  
  
"I could try and distract them, if you want..."  
  
"What??"  
  
"I-I may or may not be able to get all of them out of the room, b-but you would at least have the chance to visit Papyrus without the room being filled with people..."  
  
"You would do that for me?"  
  
"Sure! W-what are friends for?" she gave you a genuine smile.  
  
"Thanks, Alphys." You smiled back. At Alphys' prompting, you hid around the corner at the opposite end of the hallway as she re-entered the room.  
  
"S-sorry that took so long! I couldn't decide if I wanted Mountain Dew or Pepsi, and then the machine wouldn't take my money."  
  
"I was starting to worry you'd been kidnapped or something, Alphys!" Undyne scolded.  
  
"S-sorry! But... I did see a gift shop while I was downstairs! W-why don't we all go check it out?"  
  
"A GIFT SHOP? IN A HOSPITAL??"  
  
"Y-yes! Apparently they've got a bunch of different stuff for people while they recover. B-books, movies, puzzles, toys... I thought we might find something Papyrus would like..."  
  
"Yeah, that doesn't sound bad. What do you think, squirt? You want to come, too?"  
  
There was a brief silence, and then Flowey spoke up.  
  
"Hey! What are you doing? I didn't say anything about wanting to come! ... Don't give me that look! ... Ugh! FINE! Whatever..."  
  
"P-perhaps you two should come a-along, too, your majesties..."  
  
"That sounds like a nice idea. I wonder if they have any fresh tea available?" Asgore rumbled.  
  
"They may also have someplace to donate toys to the children staying here. I think it would be a nice gesture to brighten some sick or injured child's day." Toriel agreed.  
  
"H-how about you, Sans? A-are you coming?"  
  
"nah, think i'll pass."  
  
"B-but... I-if you're sure..."  
  
"yeah. someone's gotta keep my bro from becoming to **bonely.** "  
  
"UGH!" Papyrus groaned at the pun, "YOU'RE JUST TOO LAZY TO WALK DOWN THE STAIRS!"  
  
"heheheh. you got me there, bro."  
  
"W-well, alright. C-come on everyone! It's this way!"  
  
You heard the shuffling of feet as the group exited the room and made its way down the hall to the stairs. You waited a few extra moments before daring to glance around the corner. The hallway was empty.  
  
_"Alright, this is my chance. Sounds like Papyrus' brother is the only one still in there... I can do this..."_  
  
You took a deep breath to steady yourself, wheezing in pain as you belatedly remembered your damaged ribs. You moved over to the door and shifted nervously for a bit before quietly knocking.  
  
"COME IN!" Papyrus called, and you shuffled your way inside.  
  
You saw Sans first, lounging in a chair at Papyrus' bedside. He tensed a bit and his eyes widened at the sight of the bruise on your face, but didn't react, otherwise.  
  
"_____!" Papyrus perked up at the sight of you.  
  
"H-hey, Papyrus. How are you feeling?" you smiled at him, desperately trying to ignore the way Sans was staring you down. You noticed his gaze narrow as he glanced towards the doorway.  
  
"I AM FEELING MUCH BETTER, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE ULTIMATE SPAGHETTI AND COOKIES UNDYNE AND ALPHYS BROUGHT ME! HOW ARE YOU DOING? THE DOCTORS TOLD ME YOU WERE DISCHARGED LAST NIGHT."  
  
"I'm fine. Sore, but nothing too bad."  
  
"I AM GLAD TO HEAR THAT!" Papyrus smiled at you, relieved, "YOU JUST MISSED EVERYONE, BY THE WAY. THEY JUST HEADED DOWN TO THE GIFT SHOP A MINUTE AGO!"  
  
"yeah. what a crazy coincidence." Sans gave you one of his mirthless grins.  
  
"Oh, um... yeah. Speaking of gifts, I brought this for you, Papyrus! It's sort of a get well soon present, and something to thank you for being such a good friend..." you blushed a bit as you handed Papyrus the bag.  
  
"THANK YOU! YOU DID NOT NEED TO DO THAT! YOUR FRIENDSHIP IS ALL THE GIFT I NEED! I WISH I HAD SOMETHING TO GIVE YOU IN RETURN, BUT THE DOCTORS DON'T WANT ME LEAVING THE BED JUST YET. THEY SAID THAT, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH MONSTERS, THEY WANT TO OBSERVE ME FOR ANOTHER DAY OR TWO TO MAKE SURE I'M RECOVERING PROPERLY."  
  
"That's alright, Papyrus. I'll just be happy to see you feeling better. Oh, and my mom sends her well wishes, too."  
  
"WOWIE! I'VE NEVER EVEN MET YOUR MOM! I BET SHE'S JUST AS KIND AND GENEROUS AS YOU!"  
  
Sans snorted, and you glared in his direction.  
  
"Well, go ahead. Open it."  
  
Papyrus opened up the bag, pulled out the book, and gasped.  
  
"PUZZLES OF THE AGES?! I DID NOT REALIZE THIS BOOK WAS STILL BEING PUBLISHED! AND LOOK! IT'S A NEW EDITION, TOO!"  
  
You couldn't help but grin at his excitement. The pain of your encounter with Gerson seemed to lessen when this was part of the result.  
  
"heh. that's pretty cool, bro. i wonder how much she had to **shell** out for that one?" Sans winked at you.  
  
Papyrus had an inscrutable look on his face, aware that his brother had just made a pun, but not privy to the context.  
  
You, meanwhile, cringed and looked away. So it seemed that Sans was aware of your encounter with Gerson, too.  
  
"THANK YOU! THIS WILL BE AN EXCELLENT ADDITION TO MY PUZZLE BOOK COLLECTION! .... OH! I KNOW WHAT I CAN GIVE YOU IN RETURN! TRY SOME OF THESE COOKIES ALPHYS MADE FOR ME! IT'S MONSTER FOOD, YOU KNOW! THEY'LL HELP YOU HEAL FASTER!"  
  
"Really??" you asked, examining a cookie.  
  
"yep. you look like you really need it, too, given what a **colorful** character you are." Sans indicated your bruise by pointing to the side of his skull.  
  
"SANS! THAT WAS INSENSITIVE! APOLOGIZE RIGHT NOW!"  
  
"i'm sorry you're colorful."  
  
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!"  
  
"Hah... It's alright, Papyrus. It was kind of funny..."  
  
Papyrus looked mildly scandalized that you'd claim one of his brother's puns had been funny.  
  
"IF YOU'RE NOT OFFENDED..."  
  
"Nah, it takes a lot more than that to offend me." you noticed a dangerously amused twinkle in Sans' eye, "That's not a challenge, Sans!"  
  
He just chuckled darkly in response.  
  
"A-anyway, I should probably go. I've got some errands to run."  
  
"SO SOON? WELL... IF YOU MUST."  
  
"You'll let me know when you're out of the hospital, right?"  
  
"OF COURSE!"  
  
"Good. I'll see you later, Papyrus! ... Sans."  
  
"GOODBYE, _____!"  
  
Sans just watched you leave the room. You got the feeling that that penetrating gaze of his told him more about you than you could ever know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! The Captain of the good ship Friend Ship has returned to sail again! This also means you're one step closer to having your friend-count be out of the negatives numbers. :P And all you had to do was run blindly into danger and get your ass kicked! HOORAY!


	16. Celebrity Guest Star

"Have you gotten to episode 67, yet?" Alphys stared at you as eager as a puppy being presented with a treat, including the tail wagging.  
  
"Not yet. I'm on episode 65 now," you told her, taking a bite of the leftovers you'd brought to work with you today.  
  
Over the past couple weeks since Alphys asked to be your friend, it had become common for the two of you to meet in the break room on your floor for lunch. On the days you didn't spend lunch with Papyrus, of course.  
  
Your conversations started off exclusively anime related as you chatted about and recommended different series to each other. Or, rather, checked on your progress on Mew Mew Kissy Cutie, which was a surprisingly long series. However, things had quickly branched out to other, equally nerdy, topics including movies, video games, and advanced computer engineering. (Which, you discovered, Alphys was leagues beyond you in knowledge of, and you couldn't help but feel awed by it, which usually left her a blushing, stuttering mess.)  
  
"Just wait until you see happens to Mew Mew in episode 67! It's so heart-wrenching! I won't go into many details, but-"  
  
You cut Alphys off at the now familiar cue of one of her spoiler-riffic rants. "Spoilers, Alphys!" you chastised.  
  
"O-oh! Whoops! Sorry!"  
  
You smiled at her as she blushed sheepishly. Alphys could be a bit neurotic, but she was easy to get along with. Honestly, the two of you shared a lot of interests.  
  
That's not to say the two of you didn't have your points of contention. The stigma you had amongst monsters, especially her other friends, made Alphys fearful of admitting to her budding friendship with you. As things were now, the two of you only really spoke during lunch at work, and your contact info in her phone was an alias so no one would get too suspicious if you texted each other about your shared geeky interests. As it was, only Papyrus knew of your friendship, and he was absolutely sworn to secrecy. It kind of hurt that she wouldn't admit to being your friend, but you didn't dare jeopardize things by being pushy about it. Maybe once the two of you knew each other better she'd be more open?  
  
Honestly, you were just happy to have someone you could share your nerdier interests with. Speaking of which...  
  
"So, any new ideas on how to get Papyrus into anime?" Alphys asked.  
  
"We just need to find the right one and get him to sit still long enough to watch it." you replied.  
  
The two of you had spent the last week plotting to show Papyrus that anime wasn't just 'kid's cartoons' like he thought.  
  
"What about that one you were telling me about the other day? The one with ninjas?"  
  
"Naruto? Yeah, that might be a good candidate. Papyrus would probably relate with Naruto's desire to train hard and one day become the Hokage, and his dedication to his friends." you nodded. You had actually just recommended that one to Alphys the other day, partially because you enjoyed the series, but mostly to get Alphys stuck on a super-long series like you were.  
  
You glanced at the clock on the wall and groaned. Why did your lunch break always have to feel so short?  
  
"Guess it's time to get back to work." you sighed.  
  
"I-is it that time already? Guess we'll have to put Operation: Get-Papyrus-Hooked-On-Anime on hold for now. I'll see you tomorrow?"  
  
"Actually, I'm going out to eat with Papyrus tomorrow. You're welcome to come, if you want..."  
  
"T-thanks for the offer, b-but I think I'll have to pass..." Alphys stuttered.  
  
You weren't surprised by the rejection, but it would have been rude not to offer.  
  
You waved to Alphys as she entered the elevator to head back to her lab.  
  
"Oh! And text me your reaction when you watch episode 67!" she called to you.  
  
"Will do!"  
  
With that, the doors to the elevator slid closed and you headed back to your cubicle.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You made your way to the lobby the next day for lunch. As had become habit since the assault last month, Papyrus was waiting for you just inside the lobby's doors.  
  
"GREETINGS, HUMAN! ARE YOU READY FOR LUNCH?"  
  
"Yep! I believe it's your turn to pick, so where are we going? Marco's?"  
  
"NOT TODAY!"  
  
You blinked at Papyrus, honestly surprised. It was rare for him to want to go somewhere besides his favorite restaurant.  
  
"A NEW MTT BURGER LOCATION OPENED UP NEARBY!" Papyrus grinned.  
  
"MTT? Isn't that Mettaton's brand label?"  
  
"IT IS! THE CHAIN IS OWNED BY METTATON, AND WAS STARTED BACK WHEN WE WERE STILL UNDERGROUND! HE OPENED UP A LOCATION IN MONSTERTOWN, BUT I KNOW YOU'RE NOT VERY COMFORTABLE GOING THERE... HOWEVER, NOW THAT THIS NEW LOCATION IS OPENED, I CAN FINALLY TAKE YOU!"  
  
Papyrus was practically vibrating with excitement. You weren't sure how much of it was for the food, and how much of it was doing anything Mettaton-related.  
  
"Alright, then let's get going!" you smiled at him.  
  
Moments later your smile was replaced with a wince as Papyrus, in his excitement, grabbed your arm and started dragging you out the door, putting pressure on your still tender ribs. He stopped immediately at your hiss of pain.  
  
"OH NO! ARE YOU ALRIGHT? DID I HURT YOU? I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO!"  
  
You gave Papyrus a pacifying smile. "It's alright, Paps. My ribs are still a little tender, is all. I guess humans just don't heal as quickly as monsters do."  
  
It was true. Papyrus had been fully healed for over a week now, strutting about like nothing had ever happened. Whereas your injuries, though less severe than his, had yet to fully fade. Not that they were bad at this point, you figured it would take another week at most before your last bruises completely faded. You were a little bit envious of how quickly he'd recovered, though.  
  
"HMM... THAN IT IS GOOD THIS NEW LOCATION OF MTT BURGER OPENED! THE FOOD THEY SERVE HEALS A LOT OF HP! YOU'LL BE BACK TO PERFECT HEALTH IN NO TIME! NYEH HEH HEH!"  
  
"HP??" You questioned, but Papyrus didn't seem to notice your confusion as he turned and lead the way out the door.  
  
It was a short walk to the restaurant, which had apparently opened only about a block and a half away. You looked around as you entered and cringed at the overly-flashy interior. The place could probably double as a shrine to Mettaton's ego with all the flashing lights, TVs playing MTT shows, and even a statue featuring the humanoid form of the dramatic robot himself. It also looked more like a fast-food joint than a proper restaurant, with tables scattered about and a counter at the front being manned by an incredibly stressed looking lizard monster giving the fakest-looking smile you'd ever seen.  
  
The place was also pretty much packed by both monsters and humans. You and Papyrus got in line before looking at the menu. It was clear that you'd have plenty of time to decide what to get before you reached the counter.  
  
"Sheesh. By the time we get through this line, my lunch break will be over..." you grumbled.  
  
"HMM... IT IS MORE CROWDED THAN I EXPECTED..." Papyrus contemplated the situation.  
  
"Ugh. And they're all gathered around the counter, too. Hardly any of the tables are being used... Is there some sort of problem with the kitchen?"  
  
As if to answer your question, a figure you hadn't seen through the crowd sat up. Lounging on the counter was none-other than Mettaton himself.  
  
"Did I hear the voice of my number one fan?" he crooned, then, having easily spotted the tall skeleton through the crowd, stood up and, with a wave of his hands parted the excited crowd like the Red Sea.  
  
"Papyrus, darling! It is so good to see you!" Mettaton strutted up to the two of you, the crowd looking on with a mixture of curiosity and jealousy.  
  
"M-METTATON!" Papyrus squeaked out at a higher decibel than normal. His eye sockets were wide and sparkling, and he was vibrating more intensely than a Temmie.  
  
"I see you are much improved! I was downright **devastated** when I'd heard what happened to you! Did you receive the flower arrangement I sent to you, darling?"  
  
Papyrus, still too star-struck to find his voice settled for nodding vigorously.  
  
"Excellent! I do hope they served their purpose in brightening your gloomy day!"  
  
"Y-YES! T-THEY WERE BEAUTIFUL! T-THANK YOU!" Papyrus stuttered excitedly, blushing furiously at the attention from his idle.  
  
You were unable to keep yourself from scowling at how easily Papyrus went to pieces just having a simple conversation with Mettaton. I mean, it was ridiculous. He never got this excited and flustered with you. It was like he was meeting a world-famous celebrity or... something...  
  
Your scowl turned into a cringe when you realized that Papyrus WAS meeting a world-famous celebrity. And not just any world-famous celebrity, but his favorite. Of course you were standing here forgotten in the face of such star-power. You glanced away, ashamed of yourself for feeling so grouchy about it.  
  
"...And who is this lovely vixen?" Mettaton purred, grabbing your hand and pressing a kiss to your knuckles, all the while maintaining eye contact with an intense stare.  
  
Your eyes widened and you blushed furiously at the attention. In the back of your mind, it occurred to you that the crowd was watching everything Mettaton did, and that meant that their focus was now on you as well. As if having Mettaton's focus wasn't awkward enough, you had an entire audience watching the robot flirt with you.  
  
"I-Um..." words seemed to abandon you.  
  
"THIS IS MY FRIEND, _____." Papyrus introduced for you, his voice no longer quavering, and actually sounding oddly curt.  
  
"Ah, _____. What a lovely name." Mettaton smiled flirtatiously at you. "Tell me, darling... Would you smooch a ghost?" he purred.  
  
The odd question was enough to knock you out of your stupor. "What??"  
  
_"What kind of weird question is that??"_  
  
You felt a boney arm wrap around you and tug you into an equally boney side. You glanced up at Papyrus to see his smiling face looking unusually strained as he grinned at Mettaton.  
  
"IT WAS REALLY GREAT TO SEE YOU, BUT WE REALLY MUST ORDER OUR FOOD SO I CAN ESCORT _____ BACK TO WORK BEFORE HER LUNCH BREAK ENDS!"  
  
Mettaton gave Papyrus a perplexed look, taking in how he'd pulled you to him and still had his arm around you. His eyes went wide as realization seemed to hit him.  
  
"Oh! OH! I thought she was jealous of... but really, it was you... Ahem. My apologizes, darling. I did not mean to overstep my bounds." Mettaton gave Papyrus an apologetic, knowing look.  
  
Both you and Papyrus were staring at Mettaton, confused now.  
  
"You! Server!" Mettaton turned and snapped at the lizard monster behind the counter, who jumped to attention.  
  
"M-my name's Salaman, sir..."  
  
"Yes, yes. Two of the best steaks available for my friends here! On the house!" Mettaton ordered. When the lizard monster hesitated, Mettaton snapped "Chop! Chop!" and the lizard monster scrambled out back. "Honestly, I never thought I'd find anyone who would make me miss Burgerpants... I wonder how he's faring as a lawyer these days..." Mettaton mumbled to himself.  
  
"So... um... What's a star like you doing here, anyway?" the question nagging at the back of your mind slipped out.  
  
"Hmm? Oh, I attend the opening of all my restaurants, darling. I must ensure that they're up to my high standards, of course. Honestly, though, you two should come to one of my fine dining restaurants. They have a far better atmosphere."  
  
"WOWIE... I'M NOT SURE EITHER OF US COULD AFFORD THAT..." Papyrus glanced away at that admission.  
  
"Nonsense, darling! You just give me a call, and leave the rest to me. I will ensure the two of you have the most exquisite evening! Anything for my dearest fan and his paramour..."  
  
"W-what? I'm not- we aren't- we're friends!" you stuttered, face turning crimson.  
  
"Mm-hm..." Mettaton smirked at you, clearly not believing that for a second, and eyeing Papyrus' arm which was still draped around you.  
  
"WHAT'S A PAIR A MORE?" Papyrus scrunched up his face, confused by the term.  
  
Your stuttering became even worse, and Mettaton just chuckled lightly.  
  
Before Papyrus could question this further, the lizard monster from the counter arrived with the steaks.  
  
"H-here's your o-order..." He held out the trays, desperately trying to tamp down on his shaking so he didn't accidentally drop the food.  
  
Mettaton glanced at the food presented and scowled slightly. "Passable..." the lizard monster sighed in relief, "...Barely." the lizard monster tensed up nervously again.  
  
You and Papyrus each took a tray before the food ended up on the floor. You looked at your steak, and you're not sure why it surprised you to see that the oddly square steak was seared with the likeness of Mettaton's box form.  
  
"THANK YOU, METTATON! THIS WAS VERY GENEROUS OF YOU!" Papyrus smiled, once again smitten by his idol.  
  
"Yes, thank you." you agreed.  
  
"Think nothing of it, darlings! Now, you two go enjoy your meal before it gets cold! If you'll excuse me, it seems the kitchen staff could use a bit more... instruction..."  
  
You watched Mettaton strut passed the petrified lizard monster manning the counter and back into the kitchen. You had a bad feeling about what was about to happen back there, and could only hope that Mettaton wouldn't be too harsh with them.  
  
You and Papyrus claimed a table near a window and began to dig into your steaks. Given the place's fast food vibe, you were pleasantly surprised at how good the steak was. Although, maybe that was just a result of having the boss personally order it.  
  
"So, I didn't know you and Mettaton were on such close terms." you spoke up.  
  
"EH? WE'RE... WE'RE NOT REALLY THAT CLOSE." Papyrus blushed slightly. "THE LAST TIME I MET HIM WAS AT THE QUEEN'S CHRISTMAS PARTY. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW SOMEONE WHO'S REALLY CLOSE TO HIM, YOU SHOULD TALK TO DOCTOR ALPHYS."  
  
"What? Really??" you balked.  
  
"YES! SHE'S THE ONE WHO BUILT METTATON, AFTER ALL!"  
  
"She did?! I knew she was good at robotics, but I didn't realize that she was the one who built Mettaton!"  
  
Papyrus simply nodded as he took another bite of his steak. The two of you spent the next couple minutes quietly eating before another thought occurred to you.  
  
"So, it's almost Halloween. Do you have any plans?"  
  
"HALLOWEEN? OH! THAT HOLIDAY FRISK TAUGHT US ABOUT WHERE EVERYONE DRESSES UP IN COSTUMES, ENGAGES IN JAPERY, AND GETS CANDY? I WAS PLANNING ON GOING OUT TRICK-OR-TREATING WITH FRISK AND MY BROTHER AGAIN! LAST YEAR, WE HAD A LOT OF FUN! ... EVEN IF SANS WAS LAZY AND CLAIMED THAT BEING A SKELETON WAS ENOUGH OF A HALLOWEEN COSTUME..." Papyrus scowled at the memory. "ALTHOUGH, EVEN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, MUST ADMIT THAT HIS JAPES WERE QUITE EFFECTIVE... SUCH AS WHEN HE SAT LAZILY ON SOMEONE'S PORCH WITH THE CANDY BUCKET IN HIS LAP, AND WOULD ONLY MOVE TO SCARE NAUGHTY CHILDREN WHO TRIED TO TAKE MORE THAN ONE CANDY..."  
  
"Haha! Sounds like you guys had a lot of fun!" you grinned.  
  
"DID YOU HAVE ANY PLANS FOR HALLOWEEN?"  
  
"Well... Normally my friends and I would spend the night touring creepy places. You know such as the ghost tours and haunted houses that people set up for the holiday. Then, we'd end the evening hanging out in a cemetery, looking over some of the older tombstones to see if there were any interesting epitaphs, goofing around trying to scare each other... Nothing destructive, though! We're not that kind of crowd." Your mind drifted to the time you and your friends had scared off a few idiot kids who thought it would be fun to try and knock over tombstones.  
  
"WHAT'S A CEMETERY?"  
  
"You don't know what a cemetery is?" Papyrus shook his head. "It's a place where humans bury their dead."  
  
"HUMANS BURY THEIR DEAD? THAT'S... A LITTLE WEIRD. MONSTERS SPREAD THE DUST OF THE DECEASED ON SOMETHING THEY LOVED."  
  
Your thoughts turned briefly to your past life's memories of monsters turning to dust immediately upon death, and you wrenched your thoughts away from those morbid thoughts before it went any further.  
  
"Well... humans don't turn to dust immediately like monsters do when they die. So most people choose to bury the body in a cemetery with a marked grave to remember them by." you explain.  
  
"AH, I SEE. AND YOU LIKE TO... VISIT THESE GRAVES ON HALLOWEEN?"  
  
"Well... sort of. Most people find the reminder of death that cemeteries present to be kind of creepy, and even more-so at night. It's just sort of thematically appropriate on Halloween..." you were now feeling self-conscious about your yearly tradition. You'd never really thought about how weird it was before, but having to explain it to someone made it really seem bizarre...  
  
"THEN I WILL JOIN YOU AFTER I'M DONE TRICK-OR-TREATING WITH FRISK!" Papyrus beamed, unperturbed.  
  
"You will??"  
  
"OF COURSE! IF THIS IS SOMETHING YOU DO WITH YOUR FRIENDS EACH YEAR, THAN IT IS ONLY APPROPRIATE THAT I, PAPYRUS, THE WORLD'S GREATEST FRIEND, JOIN YOU!"  
  
"That's great! I was afraid I wouldn't be doing it this year, since I no longer live near my other friends." you smiled.  
  
A blush spread across your face as Papyrus placed his hand over your own. You looked from where his hand now rested upon yours, up to Papyrus' smiling face.  
  
"NYEH HEH... THE GREAT PAPYRUS WOULD NEVER ALLOW SUCH A VALUED TRADITION TO FALL BY THE WAYSIDE."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Alphys paused, ramen hanging from her mouth, as her text alert went off on her phone. She slurped up the noodles and saw that the message was from Mettaton.  
  
Mettaton: _Have you met dear Papyrus' chéri d'amour?_  
  
Alphys blinked at the text. Papyrus' dear love? Before she could question what brought this up, another text came in. This time, it was a picture of Papyrus and _____, seated at a table with Papyrus smiling and holding _____'s hand as she blushed.  
  
All the other employees in the break room turned to stare as Alphys suddenly squealed in delight. Realizing just how much attention she'd suddenly drawn, Alphys began to blush furiously, then grabbed up her cup of ramen and scrambled to the elevator to return to her lab where she'd have more privacy.  
  
"Wait until Undyne sees this picture! They're so adorable together! She'll-" Alphys stopped immediately when she remembered that Undyne still didn't like you, and would most certainly not approve of the innocently flirtatious atmosphere the picture presented.  
  
Alphys' excitement deflated a bit as she realized that very few people would approve of such a relationship.  
  
"It's so tragic! They're tangled up in a forbidden love with practically the whole world against them, and they probably don't even realize it yet!" she twisted her claws together anxiously.  
  
"I... I wish I could talk to Undyne about it..." Alphys glanced back at her phone.  
  
After a few moments, an idea occurred to her. She texted Mettaton back.  
  
Alphys: _Can you keep a secret?_  
  
Mettaton: _Of course I can, darling. I'm insulted that you even asked!_  
  
Alphys: _This isn't just any secret, Mettaton. It's big. Real big. I shouldn't even be telling you, but I really need someone I trust who I can talk to about it._  
  
Mettaton: _Would you not rather talk to your amant de poisson, then?_  
  
Alphys: _I would, but right now it would just upset Undyne..._  
  
Mettaton: _Well, you have certainly piqued my curiosity._  
  
Alphys: _I need you to promise me you won't tell anyone any of this!_  
  
Mettaton: _I promise you, darling. I will not breathe a word._  
  
Alphys sighed in relief. Mettaton could seem pretty self-centered, but he really was there for her when she needed him. She knew she could trust him to keep his word. She began to type out the long explanation about who you were, your illicit friendship with Papyrus, and your secret friendship with her. How she was afraid of what others would think if they knew about it, and her conviction that you weren't the terrible person people feared you were.  
  
Mettaton: _That sounds like quite the exciting script for a drama._  
  
Alphys: _You promised!_  
  
Mettaton: _Yes, yes. No need to worry. You won't be seeing _____'s life story in theaters just yet. We have yet to help her earn her happy ending, after all._  
  
Alphys: _So, you don't think she's a terrible person like everyone else does?_  
  
Mettaton: _Of course not, darling. She has your approval, and we both know you are an excellent judge of character. You are friends with me, after all._  
  
Alphys: _Thank you, Mettaton! But... what do we do now?_  
  
Mettaton: _We help her, of course! One cannot stand idly by while true love hangs in the balance!_  
  
Alphys giggled at that.  
  
Alphys: _They're not dating, you know._  
  
Mettaton: _Well, not with that attitude! Although it certainly wouldn't hurt to give them a nudge in the right direction..._  
  
Alphys' grin widened.  
  
Alphys: _So, what did you have in mind?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like a certain skeleton was getting a bit jealous there. ;) 
> 
> And now we've added another member to the crew of the good ship Friend Ship, the unparalleled expert of romance (according to himself), Mettaton!
> 
> Also, I couldn't resist making a small reference to another fic. It's pretty popular, so I wonder who here will get the reference?


	17. Communing with the Dead

The woman blinked in surprise as she answered her door, bowl filled with candy in her hand, for as soon as the door opened, she was met by music. The rest of her family, and numerous costumed trick-or-treaters nearby, stopped to see what was going on.  
  
On the porch stood three individuals, dressed in the style of a mariachi band. Two of them were skeletons, the taller playing the guitar, and the shorter playing the trumpet. Between them, was a young human child with their face painted like a sugar skull, and shaking some maracas.  
  
The crowd around the three slowly grew as they played a simple mariachi tune. Once finished, they bowed to the audience and held out their treat bags.  
  
"TRICK-OR-TREAT!"  
  
"trick-or-treat"  
  
Frisk grinned excitedly at the surprised woman at the door.  
  
"Well! That was quite impressive!" she beamed at the group.  
  
Frisk signed, and Papyrus translated.  
  
"FRISK SAYS 'THANK YOU'! THEY ARE QUITE PROUD OF THEIR COSTUME IDEA! I, FOR ONE, WAS EXCITED TO LEARN OF A CULTURE THAT CELEBRATES SKELETONS, AND WILL BE LOOKING INTO THIS 'DAY OF THE DEAD' HOLIDAY MORE TOMORROW!" Papyrus grinned, gesturing towards the mustache and other painted designs on his skull.  
  
"Well, it certainly seems appropriate! And you're all quite talented at playing those instruments!"  
  
"hehehe. my favorite will always be the trom **bone** , though. and frisk here plays a mean kazoo."  
  
Papyrus groaned at Sans' emphasis, but the woman chuckled.  
  
"Well, then you've certainly earned these! Happy Halloween!" the woman deposited some extra candy in each of their bags.  
  
The group made their way past the other trick-or-treaters who were lining up for their own candy, now, and met back up with Toriel on the sidewalk. They'd played a song at each house they visited and had garnered a mostly positive reaction. This meant they weren't able to visit as many houses as they would have if they'd simply said 'trick-or-treat', got their candy, and left, but they were having fun, and that was what really mattered.  
  
"It's about time for us to head home, my child. Did you have fun?" Toriel smiled at Frisk.  
  
Frisk nodded enthusiastically and began to sign about how much fun it was, and how they'd gotten some of their favorite candy and couldn't wait to get home and eat it.  
  
Toriel chuckled. "Well, you may have some, but you will not be eating it all tonight. I imagine it will be tough enough getting you to bed without all that sugar." She turned to the skeleton brothers, "And thank you once again for joining us this evening. Frisk very much loves to spend time with you boys."  
  
"of course, tori. i love spending time with them, too. the sound of their happy laughter is **music** to my ears." Sans winked.  
  
Papyrus barely restrained himself from face-palming, since he didn't want to ruin his make-up. He recovered quickly, though.  
  
"I'M ALWAYS HAPPY TO SPEND TIME WITH FRISK! THEY ARE ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS, AFTER ALL!" Papyrus smiled down at Frisk, who returned the grin.  
  
At Frisk's urging, the three once again began a simple mariachi tune as they made their way back home. They got a number of cheers and compliments, which only spurred them on. It also helped make the walk go by quicker, and soon enough they found themselves back at Toriel's quaint home.  
  
"Ugh. It's about time you guys got back. Do you know how many of these brats tried to take extra candy?" Flowey scowled from his position next to the candy bowl, which was now mostly empty.  
  
'You weren't mean to them, were you, Flowey?' Frisk signed.  
  
"Hmph! Not mean enough as far as I'm concerned. Especially to the few who didn't think they had to take a talking flower seriously..." a malicious grin appeared on Flowey's face.  
  
'Flowey!' Frisk signed, a scolding look on their face.  
  
"They're fine, sheesh! I just scared them a bit, I didn't actually HURT anyone..." Flowey grumbled.  
  
"I appreciate your restraint, dear, but please keep in mind that it is important not to give the wrong impression about monsters. If we are to secure a lasting peace, we must be proactive about maintaining what we currently have." Toriel gently scolded.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. I know..."  
  
Toriel turned back to the skeleton brothers. " Would you like to come in for a bit?"  
  
"THANK YOU, YOUR MAJESTY, BUT I ACTUALLY HAVE OTHER PLANS."  
  
All attention turned to Papyrus.  
  
"Oh? Did you have a party to go to, dear?"  
  
"ERM... WELL, NO... I WAS GOING TO JOIN _____ ON HER YEARLY TRADITION OF SPENDING THE NIGHT IN A CEMETERY..."  
  
Papyrus was used to things being awkward when he spoke about you, but the looks he was getting now were far more intense than usual.  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"A... cemetery?" Toriel spoke up.  
  
"isn't that where humans bury their dead?"  
  
Frisk nodded in confirmation, just as baffled by this as the others.  
  
"Sheesh, you really know how to pick 'em, don't you Papyrus?" Flowey scoffed.  
  
"what, exactly does the human want to do in this cemetery in the middle of the night?" Sans questioned suspiciously.  
  
"WELL, SHE SAID THAT SHE AND HER FRIENDS MOSTLY READ TOMBSTONES AND PLAYED PRANKS ON EACH OTHER..."  
  
"So, her other friends will be there?" Toriel questioned.  
  
"WELL, NO... THEY LIVE TOO FAR AWAY NOW THAT _____ HAS MOVED HERE, SO SHE WAS GOING TO GIVE UP HER YEARLY TRADITION UNTIL I TOLD HER I WOULD GO."  
  
"So, let me get this straight..." Flowey began to summarize, "You're going to be hanging out in a cemetery... at night... alone with a human that is clearly putting everyone else here on edge... doing who knows what?"  
  
"THAT SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT, YES." Papyrus glanced to the side awkwardly.  
  
Flowey burst into hysterical laughter as Toriel and Sans continued to cringe.  
  
'I'll go with you!' Frisk signed.  
  
"You absolutely will not!" Toriel told Frisk sternly.  
  
'Just because she's different doesn't mean she's bad!' Frisk signed in your defense.  
  
"This has nothing to do with _____ being... different... my child. Even if she were perfectly innocent I would not want you wandering about a cemetery at night."  
  
'If she were innocent? What did she do to make everyone so angry with her? Why won't any of you tell me?' Frisk dug in stubbornly. They were sick of being kept in the dark. They knew that after you had run off at the fair, something big had happened and suddenly everyone seemed to hate you. Everyone except Papyrus, that is. They'd manage to glean enough from Papyrus to figure out that you were different, somehow, and while they had their suspicions, they had yet to confirm exactly why everyone was suddenly so wary of you.  
  
"You know I cannot tell you that, my child." Toriel responded firmly. This was a discussion they'd apparently had numerous times since the incident, and it seemed to be wearing on the both of them. Toriel cleared her throat and turned back to Papyrus, "Are you certain you would not rather come inside for a bit? You and Frisk could sort through your candy together..."  
  
"NO, THANK YOU. I REALLY MUST BE GOING, OR I WILL BE LATE. GOODNIGHT, EVERYONE."  
  
Papyrus turned and made his way back to his car. As soon as he had driven off, Toriel and Sans looked to each other, concern on both their faces.  
  
"well, guess i'd better be off, too. night tori... frisk... **weed**..."  
  
Flowey snorted and responded simply, "Smiley trashbag..."  
  
Frisk signed their goodbyes as well before scooping up Flowey's pot and heading inside, clearly still unhappy that they were being kept in the dark.  
  
"Sans..." Toriel called out as Sans started down the stairs. Her voice seemed to catch in her throat as Sans turned to her, but thankfully she didn't need to say a thing.  
  
"don't worry, tori. i'll make sure my bro hasn't made a **grave** mistake."  
  
Sans pulled out his phone, opening up the Soul Tracker, and headed on down the street.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You fidgeted nervously as you waited in your chair for Papyrus. He'd texted you a few minutes ago to let you know he was on his way to pick you up.  
  
You were curious to see how Papyrus' costume had turned out. He'd been going on and on about it for the past week after he'd learned about the Day of the Dead from Frisk. Apparently he, Frisk, and his brother were doing a group costume as some sort of sugar skull mariachi band.  
  
It wasn't unusual for you to have trouble picking out a costume. You didn't like to do costumes by half-measures, but you also struggled to find the time to come up with something truly great. You had lucked out, however, this year when your coworker, Mariana, caught you browsing pictures of sugar skull make-up on company time. As soon as she found out you were thinking of trying to coordinate a costume to match your friend's, and that said friend was an actual skeleton, she had insisted on helping. She apparently had a not-so-secret passion for fashion, and had quickly helped you pick out your outfit, make-up, and other accessories.  
  
"Hold still!" Mariana scolded as she put the finishing touches on your make-up. "And stop making that weird face!"  
  
You did your best to hold still and keep your face neutral, but the brush-tip tickled!  
  
"There we go! Perfect!" Mariana smiled triumphantly.  
  
You let out a sigh of relief and picked up the hand mirror on the table next to you. Looking at your reflection, you had to admit that Mariana really had a knack for this sort of thing. Upon your white-painted face, there were elaborate designs around your eyes, your lips and cheeks bore a pattern that looked remarkably like teeth, and there were elegant dots and swirls linking everything together. Your hair was twisted up into elegant curls with a series of red roses throughout, which matched your flowing red dress and skull and bone accessories. She'd even painted out bones on the back of your hand and arms, which trailed off into elegant designs as they reached your shimmering shawl. You had, however, put a stop to the heels she wanted you to wear. As lovely as they were, you weren't exactly well practiced in walking in heels, let alone through a grassy cemetery. Mariana had been a bit put-off, but had managed to find a more reasonable, yet still beautiful, alternative.  
  
"Seriously, why are you working for a technology company when you could be doing this??" you asked Mariana in awe.  
  
Mariana laughed happily at the flattery. "Because I'm secretly a dork, you dork! Come on, now! Stand up! I need to get some pictures while everything's still perfect!" Mariana insisted.  
  
You obliged and posed this way and that as Mariana told you to for the pictures.  
  
"You better be sending me copies of these pictures." you told her.  
  
"Don't worry! I will!" she snapped another picture.  
  
There was a loud knock at your door.  
  
"Ah! That'll be Papyrus!" you grinned, excited.  
  
"Well, let's not waste time! I want to see his reaction to how amazing you look!" Mariana grinned back, sharing your excitement.  
  
You took a moment to mentally prepare yourself, then opened the door. Before you stood Papyrus wearing his sleek black mariachi outfit. His skull was painted with a false mustache and some other sugar-skull inspired highlights. Upon his head he wore a large sombrero with skull decorations. You also noticed the accents on the rest of the outfit were bone themes, as well, such as the short horizontal stripes down the sides of his pants actually being little bones instead. The outfit clung to his thin frame, making him somehow appear even taller and thinner.  
  
He looked good.  
  
He looked **really** good.  
  
Papyrus, meanwhile, was having similar thoughts. His jaw hung open as he took in your outfit. The make-up on your face looked like a fancy decorated skull. The red outfit with its bone motif fit your form, emphasizing all the right places, before flaring out around your legs. Your exposed arms even featured carefully painted bones, outlined in black and decorated with little intricate details.  
  
A flush overtook Papyrus' face. You looked absolutely stunning.  
  
The two of you were jostled out of your stupor by the flash of Mariana's camera.  
  
"You two look absolutely amazing! Here! Stand together! I need to get a picture of the two of you!" Mariana coaxed you and Papyrus into the pose she wanted and began snapping pictures.  
  
"NYEH?" Papyrus, still a bit dazed, seemed to be at a loss for words.  
  
"Shoot! I haven't introduced you yet! Mariana, this is my friend, Papyrus. Papyrus, this is my coworker, Mariana. She helped me come up with this costume." you introduced.  
  
"Oh, so I'm just a coworker?" Mariana pouted playfully.  
  
"T-that's not... I meant-"  
  
"Haha! Relax! I know we haven't spoken outside of work before, but don't think you're getting out of this! I'm sending you a friend request on Facebook and I expect details! ... Unless, of course, you didn't want any of these AWESOME pictures?" Mariana grinned mischievously.  
  
"Alright, alright! I surrender!" you laughed. "I think I owe you at least that much!"  
  
Papyrus cleared his throat, getting the attention of both of you. "IT IS NICE TO MEET YOU, HUMAN! IT IS ALWAYS GOOD TO MEET NEW FRIENDS!" he beamed.  
  
"It's nice to meet you, too, Papyrus!" Mariana beamed back.  
  
"SO, WILL YOU BE JOINING US TONIGHT?"  
  
"Hm? Oh, no. I'm actually running a bit late for a party I said I'd go to, but it's fine. I wasn't about to miss the opportunity to see how you two looked together. Looks like this costume idea was spot on, eh?" she smiled. "And, besides, I wouldn't want to be a third wheel." she winked at you.  
  
Papyrus was perplexed over the term, and you were just glad that you had heavy amounts of make-up on to hide your blush.  
  
"We're just friends, Mariana." you told her.  
  
"Really? That's too bad." she seemed to contemplate this for a moment before shrugging it off. "Anyway, I should get going. Need to put on my costume before heading to that party."  
  
"OH? WHAT ARE YOU DRESSING UP AS TONIGHT, HUMAN?"  
  
"Oh, nothing special. Just a sexy little she-devil. Going to see what kind of trouble I can get up to tonight." she smirked. "Anyway, goodnight! See you on Monday, _____!"  
  
"Bye!"  
  
"FAREWELL, HUMAN!"  
  
You watched as Mariana let herself out the door. You turned back to Papyrus.  
  
"Your costume looks amazing, by the way." You smiled at Papyrus. Your smile broadened as a blush spread across his cheekbones.  
  
"YOURS IS ALSO INCREDIBLE! I HARDLY RECOGNIZED YOU WHEN YOU OPENED THE DOOR!" Papyrus smiled back. He took hold of your hand and had a closer look at the bones painted there. He was gentle and careful to avoid smudging the paint. "YOUR FRIEND DID AN IMPECCABLE JOB!"  
  
You felt your blush reach well beyond your make-up now as Papyrus cradled and examined your hand.  
  
"S-so... are you ready to go?" You asked, trying desperately to keep the embarrassed squeak from your tone.  
  
"NYEH? OH! YES! DO YOU KNOW WHICH CEMETERY WE'RE GOING TO?"  
  
"Yes. There's a few in the area. I figured we'll just go to the closest one. It's called Ebott Memorial Cemetery. I've got the address written down, here." You picked up a piece of paper from the table.  
  
"GREAT! MY CAR IS PARKED JUST OUTSIDE! LET'S GO!" Papyrus started out the door.  
  
"Oh! A-and, Papyrus?"  
  
"YES?"  
  
"C-could you... maybe... not give 200% at driving? I... don't think my stomach can handle it." You grinned sheepishly at him.  
  
"HM? VERY WELL, _____!" He smiled back, unoffended.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You cheered as Papyrus strummed on his guitar as you took a break from exploring the cemetery.  
  
"Seriously, Papyrus, I didn't even know you could play!"  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH! THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS A SKELETON OF MANY TALENTS!" he beamed at the praise, posing dramatically.  
  
So far, tonight had gone well. You were used to seeing a few trouble-makers on these outings, or police officers thinking you were trouble-makers, but no one had bothered the two of you tonight. You'd looked over some gravestones, although most of the epitaphs were pretty standard fair. You were a little surprised at just how old some of the graves were, though. You'd found a couple graves from the 1500s, and even more that were either unmarked or so worn that they were no longer legible. There were even a few mausoleums in various states of decay.  
  
You shivered a little bit. As lovely as this outfit was, it wasn't the most practical for a night outside at the end of October.  
  
"ARE YOU COLD, HUMAN?"  
  
"Hah, a little bit." You smiled sheepishly, clutching your shawl closer.  
  
Papyrus put down his guitar and removed his jacket, draping it across your shoulders.  
  
"HERE! I SOMETIMES FORGET HOW SENSITIVE HUMANS ARE TO TEMPERATURE."  
  
"Are you saying you don't get cold?"  
  
"SKELETONS CAN FEEL TEMPERATURE, BUT IT DOESN'T BOTHER US LIKE IT DOES HUMANS AND OTHER MONSTERS. IT NEEDS TO BE PRETTY EXTREME TO MAKE US UNCOMFORTABLE." Papyrus shrugged.  
  
"Wow. That sounds pretty useful." you clutched the jacket closer around you. It was still nice and warm from Papyrus wearing it, and you instantly felt better.  
  
You and Papyrus sat on a nearby bench and gazed up at the sky above. This was a pretty big cemetery, and you were deep enough in now that the light pollution from the city had faded and you could finally see the stars.  
  
"IT'S STILL STRANGE SEEING THE ACTUAL STARS." Papyrus spoke up. "UNDERGROUND, IN WATERFALL, THERE WERE THESE ROOMS WITH GLOWING CRYSTALS IN THE CEILING THAT WE WERE ALWAYS TOLD LOOKED SIMILAR TO THE STARS. WHILE THEY ARE PROBABLY THE MOST SIMILAR DOWN THERE, THEY REALLY DON'T COMPARE TO THE REAL THING."  
  
You looked over at Papyrus, feeling sad and guilty for your part in depriving monsters of something as simple and relaxing as gazing at the stars.  
  
"MY BROTHER WAS ALWAYS FASCINATED BY THEM, YOU KNOW. HE'D EVEN TAKE HIS TELESCOPE WITH HIM TO VIEW THE CRYSTALS ON TRIPS INTO WATERFALL. WHEN WE WERE FINALLY FREED, YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE LOOK ON HIS FACE AS THE FIRST STARS CAME OUT THAT NIGHT. IT HAD BEEN YEARS SINCE I'D SEEN HIM LOOK AT SOMETHING WITH SUCH WONDER IN HIS EYES. WE DIDN'T SLEEP MUCH THAT NIGHT. HE WAS SO BUSY EXCITEDLY FINDING AND POINTING OUT THE CONSTELATIONS HE'D READ ABOUT IN HIS ASTRONOMY BOOKS, TELLING ME ABOUT THE DIFFERENT MYTHS AND STORIES HUMANS HAD ATTACHED TO THEM, HE HADN'T EVEN REALIZED HOW LATE WE STAYED UP UNTIL THE SUN STARTED TO RISE AGAIN." Papyrus was smiling at the memory.  
  
"I'm sorry you guys missed out on so much for so long..." you whispered.  
  
"NYEH? NO! IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT, _____! NONE OF US CAN CHANGE THE PAST. AND... SOMETIMES, WE JUST TAKE WHAT WE HAVE FOR GRANTED. YOU DON'T REALIZE WHAT YOU HAVE UNLESS YOU'VE SPENT TIME WITHOUT IT. IN A WAY, THAT JUST MAKES IT ALL THE MORE SPECIAL." Papyrus spoke, putting his arm around you as he tried to soothe your guilt.  
  
"Thanks, Paps." you leaned into him, still feeling a bit guilty, but grateful to have him by your side.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Sans watched you and Papyrus sitting on the bench. It had been a couple hours since the two of you had arrived, and he'd been careful to keep an eye on you while keeping himself out of sight. You hadn't tried anything so far, though he had been a bit leery that you were trying to tempt his brother with how dolled up you were.  
  
For now, though, the two of you seemed to be content to look up at the stars and chat. Sans glanced up at the stars, too. It wasn't often that he got to see the stars in the city. There was generally too much light. Usually, he'd have to head out towards Mount Ebott to do his stargazing. Not that he had to go all the way there, but he still didn't like heading towards the monsters' former prison. He'd have to remember this place the next time. After all, he'd rather be surrounded by the dead than back underground.  
  
Sans frowned at that thought. He'd had a pervasive feeling of déjà vu while underground. He was no fool. He'd known that something, or someone was screwing with time down there. He had suspected Frisk of it for some time, and his suspicions had been confirmed when Frisk told him his secret secret triple-secret codeword in the Judgement Hall. That had been proof enough that Frisk was a time-traveler. The kid had never given him any reason to doubt their intentions. At least, no reason in this timeline. Yet, despite being freed and having now spent a year and a half happily on the surface, he still couldn't shake the foreboding feeling that one day it could all come to an end and they'd all find themselves back underground with no memories of having ever reached the surface. He wasn't sure whether to be bitter over the idea of losing all this, or thankful that, if such a thing ever happened, he wouldn't be burdened with the memories of what he'd lost up here.  
  
He shook the morbid thoughts from his mind and saw you were now leaning against his brother, whose arm was wrapped around your shoulders. Sans tensed and his eye sockets went dark at the cuddly display.  
  
"aw, hell no."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You were startled at the sound of a loud crack and the cawing of birds as they scattered in the darkened woods behind you.  
  
"What was **that?** "  
  
"I DON'T KNOW."  
  
You and Papyrus stared into the woods for a minute, trying to discern any movement that might indicate what had happened.  
  
"Maybe... Maybe a branch just snapped off a tree?" You suggested, a bit anxiously.  
  
"MAYBE?" Papyrus was just as confused as you were.  
  
"...How about we go somewhere else? I almost feel like we're being watched." you chuckled half-jokingly.  
  
"VERY WELL! DID YOU WANT TO EXPLORE ANOTHER PART OF THE CEMETERY, OR HEAD HOME FOR THE NIGHT?"  
  
"Hah, I think I've had enough cemetery shenanigans for one year. Let's go."  
  
You stood up and walked next to Papyrus as you headed towards the entrance.  
  
Of course, you couldn't help but pause when you spotted another tombstone with an epitaph here and there. Most of the tombstones didn't have any epitaphs on them, and most of the ones that did were standard "beloved wife and mother" fair. It was the rare few that said something unique or funny that you shared.  
  
"Hah! This one's got gallows humor. 'Damn It's Dark Down Here'," you chuckled, jogging to catch up to Papyrus who had paused to wait for you.  
  
Papyrus groaned slightly. "THAT SOUNDS ALMOST LIKE THE TYPE OF JOKE MY BROTHER WOULD MAKE. THOUGH HE'D PROBABLY FIND SOME WAY TO LITTER IT WITH PUNS."  
  
You laughed at Papyrus' discomfiture. You were nearing the front part of the cemetery when you spotted another tombstone with an epitaph you hadn't read. Naturally, you knelt down to see what it said:  
  


**Margaret Rose Williams  
  
1902 - 1983  
  
"Death is but the beginning. So I have died before, and so I shall live again. May the magic of the soul guide me once again on this journey of self-discovery so that past mistakes are not repeated."**

You froze as you read the tombstone. The words seemed to jump out at you, familiar somehow. You felt a headache building. Then, the memories:

\------------------------------

_You slowly made your way through the cemetery, leaning heavily on your cane. You were getting too old for this, but you had to do it, specifically BECAUSE you were getting too old for this. It was your legacy, and you weren't foolish enough to think that the others wouldn't simply write you off as a crazy old woman in the throes of dementia if you tried to convince them to store this away for you in a future life. They already thought you were ridiculous for believing in reincarnation in the first place. What fools._

_You glanced around and made sure no one else was around. It was getting late, and it seemed you were the only one here. Good. You made your way over to the decrepit mausoleum and shuffled your way around the back of it._

_You groaned as you knelt down, the arthritis in your limbs protesting. You jimmied a few of the bricks near the ground loose and gained access to the space behind them, carefully pulling out the small lockbox you had hidden there. You fiddled with the key in the lock before managing to get it open. Inside were a variety of papers and notes, and now you would add the rest of your work. You could only pray that your future self would find it._

_You placed a worn journal within the box. You'd been working on it for years, and although it wasn't complete, you were out of time in this life. You relocked the box and slid it and the key back into the space behind the bricks, carefully fitting the bricks back in place to hide it._

_It took a bit of effort, but you managed to get back to your feet and hobbled back out in front of the mausoleum. You turned around and looked back over it, Mount Ebott standing in the background bathed in the light of the setting sun. You hoped that the sight of Mount Ebott would be enough to bring your future life to this spot._

_After all, it'd be a shame to let all that work go to waste._

\------------------------------

"_____?! ARE YOU OKAY?! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"

You suddenly became aware that Papyrus was at your side, desperately trying to snap you out of your trance.

"P-Papyrus??" you were still feeling disoriented from the sudden memory.

"ARE YOU ALRIGHT?! YOU WERE JUST STARING AT THE TOMBSTONE, AND THEN YOU STARTED BREATHING HEAVILY AND SHAKING, AND YOU WEREN'T RESPONDING TO ANYTHING!"

You took a few calming breaths as your heart began to settle.

"I-I'm alright. I... I think I had another memory..."

"OF THE WAR?"

"No... This... this one was much newer. A different life..."

You looked in the direction of Mount Ebott, bathed in moonlight. The path into that part of the cemetery had changed over time, but was still familiar. You stood up, a little shakily, and immediately walked in that direction.

"_____? WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

"I... I need to check on something."

You lead the way along the path, and it wasn't long before you found what you were looking for. There it was, with Mount Ebott framed in the background. The mausoleum.

You made your way around the back and looked over the bricks closer to the ground, half-obscured by overgrown weeds.

"Papyrus, can you hold this? And shine the light down here." you handed Papyrus the flashlight you'd been using to read epitaphs, and he obliged. You ran your fingers over the bricks until one shifted under your touch. "Ah-hah!"

It was a bit tough with the weeds in the way, but you managed to wiggle the bricks loose. Behind them, you found what you knew would be there. The lockbox wasn't rusty like you had expected. Maybe your past life had invested in something of high quality? Or maybe you'd just been lucky enough to hide it somewhere that water hadn't gotten to it.

Either way, you put the key into the lock and fiddled it around until it clicked. You opened up the lid and found the journal and papers a little aged, but intact. You opened up the cover of the journal to the first page. There was a title scrawled there in a fine script.

  
**Metempsychosis: The Transmigration of the Soul and Other Supernatural Phenomena**

**By: Margaret Rose Williams**  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, look! A title drop and plot device all in one! How convenient. ;)
> 
> For those of you wondering, Sans' actions to disrupt the cuddle session was basically just to attack a tree in the wooded area he was hiding in, taking advantage of the startling noise and spooky atmosphere of being in a cemetery to scare you two out of it without revealing himself. Thankfully for him, it worked, and he didn't need to put in more effort. ;P
> 
> Also, I seriously have no idea where Mariana came from. She was absolutely not in my plans when I started writing this chapter. She just sort of... appeared and asserted herself. The way I've written her, I imagine that's how most of her friendships start, with her just walking up to a stranger and saying, "Oh, hey! Guess what? We're friends now!"


	18. Get to the Point, Marge!

Asgore let out a huff of frustration. Yet another attempt to fully establish monster rights had been blocked. There had been numerous attempts to alter the bill, but many of the alterations suggested by his opponents were absurd. They tried to restrict which monsters would receive rights by including only 'demonstrably intelligent beings' in the bill, and then defining such beings with notably confining terms such as the ability to speak or learn to speak English, and the ability to complete and pass a written IQ test without assistance. All his citizens were sentient, but many, such as the Froggits, Moldbyggs, and even some members of the Snowdin Royal Guard were not able to duplicate the sounds needed to speak English, and even many that could pass that requirement would be unable to pass the IQ test unassisted due to physical limitations or even because they simply lacked the same knowledge as humans due to the differences of living separated underground. Besides that, they had suggested the absolute restriction of magic, which was just completely unacceptable.  
  
It had become abundantly clear that no amount of discussion with these politicians would change things. They knew exactly what they were doing. They carefully worded their suggestions and excuses to make it seem to the average person that their 'concerns' were legitimate, and offered suggestions to 'compromise,' but it was all just smoke and mirrors to hide the fact that they wanted no monsters to have rights. They knew Asgore would not forsake any of his citizens, not even a single Moldsmal, and used that to make it seem that he was being unreasonable in his unwillingness to accept their counter-offers.  
  
His own political allies were doing their best to help him, but they could only do so much. So long as the general human populace turned a blind eye to their plight, his opponents would continue to stonewall him. The fair had helped to promote positive interactions between monsters and humans, but it hadn't been enough to cause the overall populace to question why monsters did not share the same rights as humans.  
  
Asgore perused a suggestion for an advertising campaign to promote awareness of the issue. He was in a tricky position where he needed humans to realize that monsters had very few rights so that they could pressure their representatives to resolve the issue, but doing so would expose his people to peril from criminals who would realize that monsters were not protected by laws the same as humans were, and thus were less risky targets. He did not like putting his citizens at risk, but that seemed to be occurring, regardless. Incidents of violence against monsters had risen in the last month, and as more of the assailants realized that there was little that could be held against them legally, the worse it would get.  
  
Asgore looked at the police report from last month's assault at MEET Co. Alphys had reported to him that night with everything she knew about the incident, including your use of magic. It had been difficult to tell from the black-and-white footage, but with the knowledge of where and when to look, it was apparent that you had used magic to shove the assailants away, giving Papyrus enough space to begin fighting back. Asgore was torn between worry of you using magic, and being grateful that you had disrupted the assault before it turned deadly. He was also grateful that you had been included in the assault, as it meant the police had legal standing to press charges against the assailant they had arrested. He felt guilty about this. Not that you had been harmed, as he felt you deserved some suffering after what you'd done, but guilty over the fact that he did not feel guilty that you were harmed.  
  
Asgore sighed again. What was he going to do about you? He had been able to rest easier once Doctor Alphys' Soul Tracker technology had been completed. She had even offered to set it up on his computer... And then on his phone when he admitted that he did not own a personal computer... and then offered to upgrade his phone when she realized it was so old that it was incompatible... and then when she demonstrated how it would work on her own phone, he had politely declined. It seemed... complicated, especially on such a tiny device. He'd opted to leave monitoring that device to her. She reported in once a week, or sooner if something significant happened. So far, besides the assault, everything had been fairly quiet, yet, he couldn't shake the fear that history would repeat itself and they'd find themselves banished back underground behind the barrier.  
  
With problems on all sides, what was he to do?  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You groaned and rolled over, stuffing your pillow over your head to try and drown out Cleo's meowing. You weren't sure what time it was, but your feline alarm clock was being quite clear that it was probably well past breakfast time, and she was **not** happy that you'd slept through it. Of course, what did you expect having stayed up until 5 in the morning sorting through the contents of that lockbox you'd found last night?  
  
You glanced at the clock on the other side of the room and saw that it was nearly 12:30 in the afternoon. You begrudgingly pushed the covers off yourself and stumbled to the kitchen to feed the furry tripping hazard meowing at you as she weaved between your legs.  
  
You plopped the remaining contents of the current can of cat food into her bowl and slumped against the counter as she finally quieted by stuffing her face.  
  
God, you needed coffee. After a minute or two of standing around in a daze, you finally motivated yourself to get the coffee maker going. Once it was finished brewing, you slumped down at the table and began to nurse your mug as you tried to promote wakefulness.  
  
You hadn't really learned anything from the documents, yet. Well, nothing besides the fact that your former life, Margaret, was a disorganized slob with her notes. It seemed that she had tried to organize her thoughts and discoveries in the journal, but had made numerous additional notes, edits, and redactions which may or may not have been stuffed in the appropriate places within the journal. (Well, when the scattered pages didn't cover multiple topics from wildly different points in the journal.) You had spent hours trying to organize things, but had given up when you realized how late, or early rather, it had gotten.  
  
As the caffeine began to make its way through your system, your brain finally decided to join the waking world. Clearly, there would be no easy way to go through everything. Your best bet would probably be to transcribe the notes into documents on your computer where you'd be able to properly organize the information, include the edits and additional details, include your own cliff notes and thoughts, or use search features to find what you needed. Seriously, how did people keep their notes organized before computers?  
  
_"But first, breakfast! .... Or, I guess, lunch..."_  
  
You set about making yourself some grilled cheese sandwiches. Quick. Simple. Tasty. You faintly heard your text alert go off from your bedroom, and realized that you hadn't bothered to check your messages after you'd stumbled out of bed. You picked up the remainder of your lunch and headed back into your bedroom, setting it down at your computer.  
  
You picked up your phone and realized you had numerous missed messages.  
  
THE GREAT PAPYRUS: _GOOD MORNING!_  
  
THE GREAT PAPYRUS: _ARE YOU SLEEPING IN TODAY?_  
  
THE GREAT PAPYRUS: _TEXT ME WHEN YOU WAKE UP._  
  
THE GREAT PAPYRUS: _ARE YOU STILL SLEEPING?_  
  
THE GREAT PAPYRUS: _PLEASE DON'T TAKE UP SANS' HABITS!_  
  
THE GREAT PAPYRUS: _SANS IS UP NOW. YOU HAVE OFFICIALLY SLEPT IN LONGER THAN MY BROTHER._  
  
THE GREAT PAPYRUS: ______? ARE YOU ALRIGHT?_  
  
THE GREAT PAPYRUS: _SHOULD I COME OVER? I'M GETTING WORRIED..._  
  
THE GREAT PAPYRUS: _CLEO! TEXT ME IF _____ IS ALRIGHT OR NOT!_  
  
THE GREAT PAPYRUS: _WAIT... CAN CATS EVEN TEXT?_  
  
You quickly typed out a reply.  
  
You: _Sorry, Paps. Slept in really late. I was up til 5 in the morning. Didn't mean to worry you._  
  
It didn't take him long to respond.  
  
THE GREAT PAPYRUS: _YOU SHOULD NOT STAY UP SO LATE! IT'S A BAD HABIT!_  
  
You: _I know, I know. Didn't mean to. I lost track of time trying to sort through these notes._  
  
THE GREAT PAPYRUS: _AH! DID YOU LEARN ANYTHING INTERESTING FROM THEM? WHAT DOES PAST-YOU HAVE TO SAY?_  
  
You: _Haven't learned anything yet. Still organizing. I'm going to spend the day typing it all up so I can organize it better._  
  
THE GREAT PAPYRUS: _ALRIGHT! I'M GOING TO TRAIN WITH UNDYNE TODAY! TEXT ME IF YOU NEED ME, AND DON'T STAY UP SO LATE AGAIN!_  
  
You: _You got it. :)_  
  
With Papyrus assured that you hadn't died in the middle of the night, you settled down at your computer and got to work.  
  
_"Hah... this is going to be a long, but hopefully interesting, day."_  
  
\------------------------------  
  
It was starting to get late, and you decided that your transcription project would have to wait. It was a lot slower going than you expected, as dear old Margaret's handwriting seemed to vary wildly from the elegant script of the title to hastily written chicken scratch. That, and her writing style was about as exciting as reading a textbook. You also found yourself going over parts repeatedly that you found just plain confusing. You hoped that some of it would make more sense in context because, 'blinking dangerous?' and 'elderly korean man - mt. ebot - important?' weren't exactly the most detailed of notes. Maybe you should have just transcribed the journal first instead of worrying about all the papers stuffed haphazardly inside it.  
  
You looked over what you had so far. The preface of the journal was a basic introduction and what appeared to be an small autobiography:  
  
_This journal stands as the culmination of everything I have learned of the supernatural in this lifetime. In it, I shall discuss the nature of the soul, and the phenomenon known colloquially as 'magic'.  
  
To understand these concepts, one must first begin with the circumstances by which I gained such knowledge, and thus I will begin with who I am.  
  
My name is Margaret Rose Williams, and I was born May the third, in the year 1902. I lead a fairly normal childhood up until the age of 9 when a nearly disastrous event first revealed the supernatural to me. It was the summer, and my family was visiting my Uncle Jack in Montana. I had wandered off into the nearby woods in search of flowers as I had on numerous prior occasions. However, on this particular trip, I stumbled too close upon a mother bear and her cubs, and was set upon by the enraged beast. My life should have been forfeit as the she-bear knocked me down and prepared a fatal strike, but the blow never made contact. Instead, the beast found itself rebuffed again and again by a shimmering, translucent light. Eventually, the mother bear's rage subsided and she lead her cubs away. I was scraped, bruised, and utterly exhausted, but alive. When I stumbled home in tears and told my family what had happened, I was met with disbelief. Now, I am not surprised by their reaction. I have long since learned that people would rather pretend that a perfectly sane individual is delusional than accept something they cannot understand. However, from that day on, I knew for a fact that magic was real.  
  
As I grew to adulthood and during the first World War, I continued to practice my magic in secret. There was a kind of joy in my secret talent, which made me special in ways the other children could not comprehend. However, a secret it had to remain, for I had heard and seen enough from my elders to know that supernatural phenomena were seen as the devil's work and not to be tolerated.  
  
As an adult, I found passion in the world of medicine. I became a nurse at a local doctor's clinic and quickly showed an aptitude for mending the sick or injured. As my skill as a nurse and magical prowess grew, I began to notice something odd. If I focused on someone in just the right way, I could make out a colored heart shape emanating from their chest cavity. This was not the organ, no, that part remained obscured. I was not sure what to make of it for many years, only that I could discern certain information about an individual from the color and condition of the heart. Certain colors matched certain personality traits, and a heart in poor condition was indicative of a person in poor condition, even if they hid it behind a mask. Eventually, I would learn that these heart shapes every person possessed were their souls.  
  
I have learned a great deal about magic and the nature of the soul, although much of the significance of what I learned was lost upon me in my youth as I did not possess the knowledge or proper context to appreciate what I observed. Thus, I have compiled that knowledge within this book in the hopes that my discoveries will provide the stepping stones for future knowledge._  
  
It was at about that point that you got sidetracked by all the papers stuffed at the beginning of the journal, thinking they were going to be relevant and important, not... random and confusing.  
  
_"Man, I really didn't get much done... Maybe I'm not much more organized than Marge, was..."_  
  
Unfortunately, you had work in the morning, so it was time to call it a night.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"You seem distracted today. Are you alright?" Alphys asked you as you sat together eating lunch.  
  
"Huh? Oh, yeah," you started out of your daze. "Guess I'm just a little tired..."  
  
You debated whether you should tell Alphys about the journal. She was your friend after all, right? And she was incredibly smart. She might be able to help you make sense of the parts that were confusing you...  
  
On the other hand, you hadn't finished reading through everything, and given that the only past life you knew much about had betrayed monsterkind... well, you were a little worried of what you might learn about Marge in the process. She seemed alright, from what you'd read so far, but for all you knew she may have gained most of her knowledge by eating people's souls or something horrifying like that.  
  
You decided you'd wait at least until you'd finished going through the documents yourself before talking to others about them.  
  
"So, uh, how was your Halloween?" you asked Alphys.  
  
"It was nice! Undyne and I went to a costume party being hosted at Grillby's!"  
  
"Grillby's?"  
  
"Oh! It's a monster bar and grill owned by the fire elemental, Grillby."  
  
"Hmm... I think I met him at the fair... The food was greasy and delicious."  
  
"Yeah. Undyne loves his food."  
  
"So, it was a costume party... what did you guys dress up as?"  
  
"Oh, um... We decided to dress up as characters from this movie we used to watch together a lot when we were underground. It's called Beauty and the Beast?"  
  
"Oh, really? I love that movie! Which characters did you two go as?"  
  
"I was Belle, and Undyne was... well..." Alphys fidgeted a bit.  
  
"...Was who?"  
  
"Well, maybe it's best if I just show you..."  
  
Alphys pulled out her phone and fiddled with it for a moment before pulling up a video. It took a moment to focus before you saw Undyne front and center dressed in a red shirt, black pants, yellow gloves, brown boots, and a belt, with her hair pulled back into a low ponytail. Various other monsters in costume were laughing and cheering as Undyne and a few others you didn't recognize seemed to be acting rowdy and singing a song. The video was apparently started part-way through.  
  
Monsters: "No one fights like Gaston! Douses lights like Gaston! In a wrestling match nobody bites like Gaston!"  
  
Female Monsters: "For there's no one as burly and brawny!"  
  
Undyne: *lifting the female monsters* "As you see I've got biceps to spare!"  
  
Monster: "Not a bit of him's scraggly or scrawny!"  
  
Undyne: "That's right! And every last inch of me's covered with hair!"  
  
You were relieved that Undyne didn't act out that particular part of the song...  
  
Monsters: "No one hits like Gaston! Matches wits like Gaston!"  
  
Monster: "In a spitting match nobody spits like Gaston!"  
  
Undyne: "I'm especially good at expectorating!"  
  
Undyne spits something, but the camera doesn't catch it. You do, however, here some other patron cry out, presumably hit by the loogie.  
  
Monsters: "Ten points for Gaston!"  
  
Undyne: *trying to juggle eggs, though not entirely successfully. She eventually settles on flexing once she's dropped them* "When I was a lad I ate four dozen eggs every morning to help me get large! And now that I'm grown I eat five dozen eggs, so I'm roughly the size of a barge!"  
  
Monsters: "Oh! Ahh! Wow! My, what a guy, that Gaston! No one shoots like Gaston!"  
  
Undyne throws several glowing blue spears.  
  
Monsters: "Makes those beauts like Gaston!"  
  
Monster: "Then goes tromping around wearing boots like Gaston!"  
  
Undyne: "I use antlers in all of my decorating!"  
  
Monsters: "My, what a guy, Gaston!"  
  
The crowd devolves into cheering and laughter.  
  
"That... I don't... That was actually kind of amazing! I had no idea so many monsters were in to Disney movies."  
  
"Well, admittedly, we were kind of limited on what was available to us underground, but that was definitely one of the good ones we had access to!"  
  
"If I can ask, why did she pick Gaston over Beast?"  
  
"Well, part of it was the difficulty in putting together a costume for Beast... But mostly, I think she just likes what a big ham Gaston is."  
  
"Well, she certainly seemed to be having fun playing out that song!"  
  
You both laughed.  
  
"So, what did you do for Halloween, _____?"  
  
"Well I didn't really do much... Nothing nearly as exciting as that party seemed to be."  
  
"... Nothing exciting?! After all the work I did?!"  
  
You jumped at the sudden voice, and turned in your seat to see Mariana entering the break room. She walked right over to the table you and Alphys were seated at and pulled up a chair to join you.  
  
"Oh! Uh, hi, Mariana," You greeted. "Alphys, this is Mariana. She works in the same department as me. Mariana, this is Alphys. She works upstairs."  
  
"Ooh! Come to enjoy lunch with us peons, have you?" Mariana teased.  
  
"P-peons?! I-I would never s-say such a thing!" Alphys stuttered, anxious.  
  
"Whoa, whoa! Easy! I'm only joking around," Mariana gave Alphys an apologetic smile. "It's nice to meet you, by the way."  
  
"A-ah... It's nice to meet you, too..." Alphys fidgeted for a moment before speaking up again, "Y-you said something about some work you did?"  
  
"Yeah! I helped _____ here pick out her costume and did her make-up and everything. Here, let me show you!" Mariana dug out her phone and began showing Alphys the pictures she'd taken.  
  
"Oh my god! You look so amazing, _____! ... And is that Papyrus?!" Alphys' grin was practically splitting her face now.  
  
"Er, well, yes..."  
  
"Don't they look amazing together!" Mariana piped up.  
  
You were beginning to turn red.  
  
"They do! You have to send me copies of these pictures!"  
  
"No problem! I'll send them to you right now!"  
  
"Hey! I don't even have copies of those pictures yet!" you grouched.  
  
"Well that's because SOMEONE hasn't given me all the dirty details of her little DATE yet!" Mariana gave you a pointed look.  
  
"D-date?!" You didn't think Alphys could be any more excited by this, but she proved you wrong.  
  
"Yeah! With the cute skeleton!"  
  
"I-IT WASN'T A DATE!" you clapped a hand over your mouth when you realized you'd just shouted that part. The entire break room was looking in your direction now, and you were pretty sure your face currently matched that lovely red dress you had worn. You continued at a quieter tone as people started to look away. "Look, we were just hanging out. It's something I do with my friends every year, it just happens that I moved here this year, so wasn't able to hang out with my other friends, is all..."  
  
"Uh-huh..." Mariana didn't seem to really buy it. "So, what did happened during your... hang out?" she asked dryly.  
  
"Well... Like I said, not much. We walked around, chatted about this and that, read some epitaphs-"  
  
"Wait... Epitaphs?" Mariana interrupted.  
  
"Er... yeah. It's sort of a yearly tradition for me to hang out with my friends at spooky places, like haunted houses and graveyards..."  
  
"Y-you hung out at a place where humans bury their dead?" Alphys questioned.  
  
"Er... well... yeah..."  
  
"That is SO weird..." Mariana spoke, "I love it!"  
  
"S-surely there was more to your evening than that?" Alphys asked.  
  
"Well... He did play his guitar a bit. I had no idea he knew how to play!"  
  
"So, he serenaded you!" Mariana waggled her eyebrows at you.  
  
You let out a growl of frustration.  
  
"Alright! Alright! I'm just teasing! So, what else?"  
  
"We looked at the stars a bit..." you gave both Mariana and Alphys a warning glare as they perked up at this, "... He told me about his brother's love for stars and how he used to go to some place in the underground to gaze at these crystals that were kind of like the stars, but weren't nearly as amazing as the real thing." You opted to leave out the part where Papyrus held you close to himself as you leaned against him gazing at the stars. There is no way they'd let that one slide if you told them.  
  
"Ah! You mean the wishing room in Waterfall. The crystals are beautiful, but it's a different kind of beauty from the actual stars..." Alphys chimed in.  
  
"And that's it, really. I told you it wasn't that exciting..."  
  
Mariana sighed, "If you're SURE that's all, than I suppose I can send you these pictures now."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"I suppose I should get back to my lab. It was nice to meet you, Mariana." Alphys smiled shyly.  
  
"Nice to meet you, too, Alphys!" Mariana smiled back. "Come on, _____! We should probably get back to work, too!"  
  
"Yeah, alright. See you later, Alphys!"  
  
You and Mariana continued to chat and joke around throughout the rest of the day. It seemed she had no intention of leaving your interaction for Halloween as a one-time thing, and you weren't going to complain. It was nice to have more friends. Slowly, but surely, things were starting to look up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I almost had Alphys and Undyne go as Prince Eric and Ariel for Halloween, much like that one awesome fan art I've seen making the rounds. However, then I sort of got the song "Gaston" stuck in my head, and then I got the image of Undyne acting out Gaston in my head, and, well, I decided that Undyne would totally be willing to ham it up. (Although, can you imagine Alphys in Belle's ballgown? That would be a LOT of yellow. Maybe she went with the blue dress?) Beauty and the Beast also happens to be one of my favorite Disney movies, so that's what you're getting! 
> 
> Also, Marge's sloppy handwriting and disorganization sort of evolved from a need to have this lovely source of information not be TOO easy. After all, a tome of free knowledge would be pretty boring. I actually had a lot of trouble with this chapter and the next one because of this. It's tough to get the info I want out there without it being as exciting as reading a textbook. Thankfully, I think I got it into a reasonable place now, and then we can get back to moving the story forward.


	19. The Musings of Margaret Williams

You had been working on transcribing the journal and additional documents for a week now. Which meant you now had a healthy appreciation for good penmanship, as Marge seemed to mostly be lacking it. There were still entire passages that you hadn't been able to interpret due to the chicken-scratch her handwriting sometimes devolved into. However, you had managed to transcribe everything else.  
  
There was a lot of general information about souls and magic. It seemed, though, that a lot of it was speculative based on Marge's observations. You wondered if Alphys could help you confirm some of it? She would certainly be in a better position to interpret this than you were.  
  
Then, there was the information Marge had included about her own magic, and thus, by proxy, your magic.  
  
"SO... YOU HAVE THREE ABILITIES?" Papyrus asked, glancing over your shoulder at the document you were browsing on your computer.  
  
"So it seems. Obviously, I can make barriers... What's interesting, though, is that these notes indicate that, not only can it be used to block attacks and... well, imprison people... but the Barrier spell can be mobile, and used to push people."  
  
"THAT SEEMS LIKE A CHILDISH WAY TO USE YOUR MAGIC." Papyrus scowled slightly.  
  
"Well, I think it's more intended to push away attackers who get too close... Or shove them off a cliff or something..." you shrugged.  
  
"THAT... ALSO DOES NOT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD USE OF YOUR MAGIC...WELL, THE SECOND PART, ANYWAY."  
  
"Haha..." you laughed weakly.  
  
"WHAT OTHER ABILITIES DO YOU HAVE?"  
  
"The next one Marge describes is called 'Blinking'."  
  
"I THOUGHT ALL HUMANS COULD BLINK? OR IS THE EYE LID THING SOMETHING DIFFERENT?" Papyrus was confused.  
  
"No, well, yes. All humans can blink, but this is referring to something different. It's actually some type of teleportation magic. I guess she chose to call it 'Blinking' because it's mainly a reactionary ability caused by danger or stress, like how humans will blink automatically if a projectile flies towards their face."  
  
"I SEE."  
  
"I actually did this one on the night of the fair... it's how I disappeared when Asgore found me..." you mumbled. That night was still painful to think about.  
  
"IF YOU'VE ALREADY USED IT ONCE, IT MAY BE A GOOD PLACE TO START LEARNING HOW TO USE MAGIC!" Papyrus beamed at you.  
  
You cringed at the suggestion, "Ugh, I told you, Paps. I don't want to learn magic. It's nothing but trouble for me. Besides, after what I've read in here I sure as heck don't want to be trying this anytime soon."  
  
"WHAT? WHY NOT?"  
  
"Well, I now understand why Marge had a note about Blinking being dangerous. Apparently she got pretty good at triggering memories from past lives, and a lot of the memories she saw where one of my past lives Blinked ended... well... poorly..."  
  
"HOW SO?"  
  
"Many of them just sort of used Blink and... the memory ended. The ones that didn't suddenly end had the person who used it disoriented with no idea where they were. According to Marge's notes, she doesn't think we have much, if any, control over where the Blink goes, including potentially inside solid matter, which would explain why all those memories just suddenly end, as they'd be dead... "  
  
"THAT DOES SOUND DANGEROUS..."  
  
You silently thanked whatever Gods that might exist for the fact that you simply ended up in a rough neighborhood, rather than inside the rocks of Mount Ebott.  
  
"WHAT ABOUT THAT THIRD ABILITY? I THINK I SAW SOMETHING ABOUT HEALING MAGIC IN THE NOTES?"  
  
"It's Mending magic, actually."  
  
"IS THERE A DIFFERENCE?"  
  
"According to Marge, there is. I guess Healing magic is just for fixing wounds, but Mending magic can be used on other things, too? Although she mostly talks about how it helped her patients heal a little faster, she also mentions Mending a broken-down grandfather clock from her father's clock shop, where she used to watch him build and repair clocks as a child. Unfortunately, she's not clear on how this ability works, and seems to think that it's a passive ability. Apparently she didn't even realize she had it until pretty late in her life because it's fairly subtle."  
  
"SO, YOU CAN'T JUST USE IT TO HEAL PEOPLE?"  
  
"Not directly, anyway. It seems like a fairly minor skill. Although, having a more powerful version sure would have been nice last month..." you grumbled.  
  
You continued to look through the files on your computer. There were some tips on practicing magic that you skipped over. You scrolled past the part on souls and their properties. Papyrus had already confirmed that he didn't know a lot about that and had suggested you talk to his brother... before realizing that would probably be a bad idea, and then suggesting you talk to Alphys instead.  
  
You paused briefly at the part where Marge described memories from countless past lives that she'd witnessed. Apparently she'd had some sort of technique for triggering memories and then spent her retirement years vividly hallucinating about the past and writing down what she saw. You supposed she probably didn't seem that out-of-place doing it, given that it would have been the 70s then, and vividly hallucinating was all the rage. This was also where the bulk of the illegible passages were located. It looked like some of these memories were transcribed by a toddler scribbling randomly on a piece of paper in imitation of writing. You wondered why her handwriting devolved so badly here? Maybe she had arthritis and it was acting up? Or maybe she was more into the 70s vibe than you thought and was having some sort of weird acid trip while writing. If that was it, could you even trust these transcriptions? Well, the technique for triggering memories that she described sounded safe and didn't seem to involve any drugs, so you supposed you could try it out and see for yourself.  
  
You skipped the descriptions of past memories for now, and came to the part about why she moved to Mount Ebott.  
  
"Ah! Papyrus! Remember that weird note about some old Korean guy I mentioned?"  
  
"YES?"  
  
"Well, I found out the significance. Apparently, he was another human mage."  
  
"WAS HE ONE OF THE ONES FROM THE WAR?"  
  
"I... don't think he was. From the way Marge describes the encounter, it sounds like they'd never met before."  
  
"SO THERE ARE OTHER HUMAN MAGES OUT THERE?"  
  
"I don't know the full details, but probably? Anyway, this old Korean guy apparently had precognitive abilities and could... read souls? I guess he was able to tell a lot about people based on their souls." you glanced through the text again. "Anyway, so this guy moved his entire family out of Korea before the Korean War. During the war he was assaulted for being Korean and wound up in the hospital..."  
  
"THAT'S TERRIBLE!"  
  
"Yeah... people really suck sometimes. Anyway, he became Marge's patient. I guess his injuries were pretty bad, and with his old age, he wasn't doing so well, but get this: he told her that he knew before he'd left Korea that he was going to die this way. He also knew he'd meet Marge. He told her that she should go to Mount Ebott because it was a place of great significance and her soul was inextricably bound to it. He told her that the events that had happened here, and were going to happen here would shape the future. It seems that's what inspired her to move here and start recording everything she knew about magic, souls, and our past lives."  
  
"WOWIE! SO YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE ALL THESE NOTES IF NOT FOR HIM!"  
  
"Precisely! Not that I'm sure what to do with all this information, but I guess it's good to know?"  
  
"HMM... I WONDER IF THE EVENT THAT SHAPES THE FUTURE HE WAS REFERRING TO WAS MONSTERS RETURNING TO THE SURFACE?"  
  
"That would be my guess. It's a pretty significant event!" your stomach began to growl, "You want to get started on some dinner? I don't know about you, but I'm starving!"  
  
"THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS ALWAYS UP FOR COOKING AN EXCELLENT MEAL! NYEH HEH HEH!"  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"Geeze, what's up with you, today? Normally you'd have all that boring homework done hours ago, but you're still staring at that same sheet! It's getting really boring, you know!" Flowey grouched from his position on Frisk's desk.  
  
'I have a headache.' Frisk signed, not even looking up from the worksheet sitting on the desk in front of them.  
  
"A headache's never stopped you before. You're a TERRIBLE liar, you know that, Frisk?" Flowey smirked as Frisk glared at him in annoyance. "So, you going to tell me what your problem is, or what? Not that I **care** or anything, but I'd rather not spend the rest of the night watching you sulk."  
  
Frisk fidgeted a bit before signing, 'I just don't feel good.'  
  
Flowey studied Frisk a bit. They did look a little pale. "Man, you humans really do get sick easily, don't you?"  
  
Frisk didn't bother to answer, just staring at the math worksheet before them.  
  
"Ugh. Look, if you feel that bad, why don't you just go to bed? I'm sure mom won't be mad at you for not finishing your homework if you're not feeling well." Flowey grumbled.  
  
Frisk just lightly nodded before standing up from their desk and moving Flowey to his usual spot on the windowsill. They then turned off the lights and crawled under the covers.  
  
In one of those rare moments, Frisk spoke, their voice quiet from disuse, "Night, Flowey..."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Night, kid."  
  
Both settled in for a restless night.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"Oh my god! Did you hear what happened to Sylvia?!"  
  
"No? What happened?"  
  
"I hear some masked human broke into her home in the middle of the night!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
You halted with your shopping cart as the conversation caught your attention. In the middle of the produce section stood a female rabbit monster and a female bear monster, gossiping.  
  
"It's true! She showed up at Amani's the other night with little Kit in her arms saying the human had attacked her!"  
  
"Is everyone alright?!"  
  
"Yeah, she was too quick for them."  
  
"That's worse than those fiends who broke into Kody's home a few weeks back to ransack the place and paint slurs all over the walls! At least no one was home to be in any danger, then."  
  
" Do you think they're part of that group that wants to force us back underground?"  
  
"Probably..."  
  
"I wonder if... you know who... is part of that group?" the rabbit monster whispered.  
  
"Huh? Who are you talking about, Lily?"  
  
"Shh! Keep your voice down!" she looked around suspiciously, but didn't seem to notice you just around the corner. She continued in a hushed whisper, "I'm talking about the mage..."  
  
"Oh!" the bear monster began whispering back, "I hope not, but I wouldn't put it past them... They're probably eager to see us imprisoned again..."  
  
You were feeling a bit ill from this whole conversation. Monster homes and businesses were being subjected to more and more hate recently. The anti-monster 'protestors' were becoming worse every day. And as for their thoughts about you, you couldn't blame them for thinking so poorly of you... You could only guess how humans, and the seven mages in particular, were vilified in monster history. It was surprising that they weren't more bitter about humans in general, especially with the escalating violence.  
  
"Oh! Excuse me!"  
  
You were startled out of your thoughts as the bear monster rounded the corner and nearly ran into you. You hadn't realized the two monsters had finished their conversation while you were lost in thought.  
  
"S-sorry!" you moved your cart out of the way to let her by, not daring to look at her after your eavesdropping.  
  
You went back to your own shopping, vaguely wondering if monsters would ever gain the acceptance they deserved, and if you'd ever have the freedom to be yourself without fear of persecution.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"These notes are quite interesting!" Alphys exclaimed, gesturing to Marge's notes.  
  
You'd copied the files onto your laptop to show her. There hadn't been enough time for Alphys to properly read the files during lunch, so she'd agreed to meet you back in the break room after work was over to discuss it. This had been just fine by you, as it meant the two of you had the room to yourselves.  
  
"Just be glad you didn't have to try reading the originals. It was not easy..."  
  
"How did you find these notes, anyway?"  
  
"Er... well, I accidentally triggered a memory of Marge hiding them for future incarnations, and I just sort of went there and got them." you shrugged.  
  
"Wow! Secret knowledge left by a past life! I bet that would make a great starting point for an anime!" Alphys was excited by the prospect.  
  
"...Can we get back on track, Alphys? Is what she has written accurate?"  
  
"Oh! Sorry!" Alphys blushed. "For the most part, yes. This part right here where she suggests that souls can change colors is inaccurate, though. Human souls each have a primary color that corresponds to that individual's main personality trait. While it's possible for other colors to be present within a soul, they never replace the primary color. They usually only appear during intense expressions of that trait. For example, a guard with a yellow soul, which represents justice, may have traces of orange, the color of bravery, within their soul while confronting a dangerous criminal." Alphys explained.  
  
"So, you can tell what kind of person someone is by the color of their soul?"  
  
"To a degree, yes, but it's much more complicated than that. These traits mean different things to different individuals. For example, someone who's trait is justice isn't necessarily a good person. To them, it may be just to kill you for offending their honor, and you may offend their honor simply due to a difference of opinions. It depends greatly on the person's moral and social upbringing. But just because what they do doesn't seem like justice to you, doesn't mean it isn't justice to them."  
  
"That does complicate things..."  
  
"Each trait has their positive and negative attributes. Someone who's patient may lack initiative, and someone who's brave may have too much initiative and charge foolishly into danger." Alphys continued.  
  
"What about kindness? Marge describes green souls as having the trait of kindness. How could that possibly be bad?" You focused on Alphys.  
  
"It's not that kind souls are bad, so much as kind souls run the risk of being manipulated or coaxed into doing bad things."  
  
"So, if they do something bad, it's because someone else mislead them!"  
  
"Not... Not necessarily..."  
  
You gave Alphys a perplexed look.  
  
"It's possible for a kind soul to do bad things because they're willfully ignoring the bad aspects of what they're doing. So, it's not that they're unaware of the bad they're doing, they just choose to block it out."  
  
"But isn't that counter to what being kind is?"  
  
"No, it's not. Again, a lot of it is about perspective. So long as the person can find some good, some kindness in the act, they can do utterly atrocious things. There... there was a story on the news a few months ago about a doctor who was killing his patients. He claimed he was being merciful by ending their suffering, but other doctors said at least some of the patients could have recovered if given time and the proper treatment. To that doctor, he was being kind to his patients by ending their suffering... In actuality, he willfully murdered nearly a dozen people over the course of his career, never giving them a chance to recover, and never thinking of the suffering he caused their families."  
  
You and Alphys mulled over this morbid scenario, each for different reasons. For you, you now knew that you couldn't necessarily foist blame for your actions during the war on others. For Alphys, she could only think of how she'd kept the amalgamates hidden away, avoiding telling their families what had become of them. How much had they all suffered because she'd convinced herself that they were better off not knowing?  
  
"So..." you broke the sullen silence, "Was there anything else you noticed that was wrong?"  
  
"Um... Well, she encountered a red soul, but didn't know what their trait was. It's determination."  
  
"Determination?"  
  
"Yes. At its basis, it's the will to live, essentially. Every human soul possesses some amount of it, but red souls take it to the extreme. Red souls have the ability to achieve whatever they set their mind to. If there is a way to achieve their goal, they will achieve it, particularly survival."  
  
You nodded, then quickly typed up some notes about what Alphys had told you so you could add them into the appropriate spots later.  
  
"Thank you for showing me this, by the way. It was fascinating to see the Margaret's hypotheses and conclusions. There are even parts which are new to me. I... I copied some notes, if that's alright..."  
  
"Huh? No problem. But what parts could have possibly been new to you?"  
  
"Well, Marge encountered other colored human souls, for one. We were... uh... rather limited in the humans we encountered underground..." Alphys fidgeted nervously, and you briefly wondered if any other humans besides Frisk had fallen into the underground... And if they had, what became of them?  
  
"What colors were new to you?" you prodded Alphys out of her nervous state.  
  
"Oh! Um... Well, she mentions a lavender color which she believed to signify leadership. There was also gold for wisdom, silver for intelligence, and pink, which she wasn't able to determine. Of course, I can't be certain on the accuracy of these, having never encountered them for certain myself, but she was accurate with the others, so I don't see any reason to doubt her." Alphys nodded.  
  
"What about monster souls? Don't they share these colors?"  
  
"Well, no. Monster souls are grey. The coloration seems to be a trait of human souls. Honestly, this is likely because humans are physical beings while monsters are magical. Being a physical being means spiritual traits are concentrated within just the soul. Monsters, being made of magic, have their entire bodies to contain those traits. So, it's not that they're absent, just far more spread out."  
  
"Hm. That's interesting."  
  
Alphys nods. "What I find even more interesting was what Marge had to say on reincarnation. I've watched a few animes, and read a few books on it, but none of that was from the perspective of someone who's actually experienced it for certain!" Alphys' eyes were glittering with excitement as she looked at you.  
  
"Hah... I, uh, don't really know any more about it than what's written here." You glanced away nervously.  
  
"It's fascinating that human souls can be born again after their body dies, but there's just so many unknowns! Do all human souls reincarnate, or is yours unique in that regard? Maybe it has to do with you possessing magic, or the strength of your soul? Some of the books I've read indicate that humans can be reborn as other species, but Marge has never confirmed that you've been anything but human. Does that mean that's false, or are there other factors involved? What does this say about the afterlife many humans believe in? Are human souls truly immortal?" Alphys rambled excitedly.  
  
"I don't think they are..." you interrupted, and Alphys looked at you curiously.  
  
"I didn't bother bringing some of the messier notes, the ones I wasn't able to fully transcribe... But there's one that I was able to read most of before it devolved into scribbles. Marge... Marge seemed pretty shaken by it..."  
  
"What happened?" Alphys asked in concern.  
  
"Well... Apparently, one of her patients was in really bad shape. More so emotionally than physically. I wasn't able to read what the problem was, exactly, but apparently he'd experienced something absolutely devastating. Something... something that crushed his spirit so thoroughly, she saw his soul **shatter** and he died. She... She said she'd only seen souls gradually fade away some time after death, but this... this was different. It was just... **gone.** "  
  
Alphys watched you carefully, not sure what to say about that revelation. All human souls possessed determination, the will to live. But what would happen if that determination completely faded? If a human soul possessed absolutely no will to continue? Is that... is that what happened with the man? It was hard to say for sure, but it sounded like it. She thought of the Determination Extractor back in the True Lab and wondered what effect extracting most of their determination had on the 6 human souls, and what would have happened if she'd extracted too much? She shuddered in horror at the thought.  
  
The uncomfortable silence stretched on for several minutes before you finally broke it.  
  
"I, uh... Thanks, Alphys, for going over this stuff with me. Even if some of it was morbid and depressing." You gave her an awkward smile.  
  
"I-it's no problem, _____. It's been a learning experience for both of us, and I was happy to help." She smiled back. "Anyway, I should probably get back to my lab."  
  
"But the work day's over! Aren't you going home?"  
  
"Ah, I uh... kind of slacked off on my current project when I got caught up reading these files, so I have a bit of catching up to do..."  
  
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for you to get behind on your work!"  
  
"Haha! It's alright, _____. I usually end up staying late at least once a week because I get caught up on the current story arc of whatever anime I happen to be watching at the time. I'm glad that this time I can at least say I was putting work off to help a friend!" She blushed in embarrassment at this admission.  
  
"Well, if you're sure it's alright... Thanks again, Alphys." you smiled lightly at her.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow at lunch?"  
  
"You bet! I think Mariana will be tagging along, too. She seems to think it's unfair that I'm keeping all my 'cool upper-level friends' to myself." you grinned.  
  
Alphys sputtered shyly at being described as cool by someone she barely knew.  
  
"O-okay! That sounds good! I-I'll see you two tomorrow, then!"  
  
You waved goodbye to Alphys as she entered the elevator, then turned and began cleaning up your stuff. You were just stepping out of the break room when you heard something.  
  
"KAWAII DESU!~" a voice called out from the break room, followed by some buzzing.  
  
You immediately turned around and noticed a light underneath the table where you and Alphys had just been sitting. You investigated, and found a phone. A quick check of the lock screen revealed a picture of Undyne posing dramatically in a full suit of armor, a glowing blue spear at the ready in her hand.  
  
"This has GOT to be Alphys' phone." You smirked as you recalled the numerous occasions Alphys would begin rambling about Undyne. You knew the two were dating, and it was pretty adorable just how smitten Alphys was.  
  
You figured you should return it before heading home. You were fairly certain that Alphys would panic when she realized it was gone, and you couldn't blame her. Phones were expensive. Heck, you were still trying to wheedle how much your current phone cost out of Papyrus after he'd gone out and replaced your old fried one for you. He seemed determined to not allow you to repay the money for it.  
  
You glanced at the elevator. You'd never been up to Alphys' lab before. You tried to remember exactly which floor it was on... You think she mentioned once that it was on the... 8th floor? Well, there was one way to find out.  
  
You stepped inside the elevator and pressed the button for the 8th floor. You shifted nervously as the elevator rose. You hoped you were right and that you wouldn't have to go back to your desk to find the directory describing what was on each floor. Maybe you should have done that in the first place? Ugh. Too late now. The phone buzzed a few more times with different text alerts as you waited for the elevator to reach the 8th floor.  
  
With a ding, the doors opened and you stepped out into the hallway. You glanced around and noticed there were only a few doors. A bathroom, supply closet, and break room (much fancier than the one you had downstairs, by the way) were on one side of the hallway. On the other side was a single set of large double-doors with a plaque beside them. You sighed in relief upon reading Alphys' name on the plaque. You were in the right place.  
  
You raised your hand to knock when suddenly the door whipped open.  
  
"EEK!" she screamed, startled to find you right there. "O-oh, uh, h-hi! W-what are you d-doing up here?" she smiled extremely nervously.  
  
"I found your phone on the floor of the break room. I figured I should bring it up to you." You gave Alphys a quizzical look at her odd behavior.  
  
"My phone!!" Alphys quickly snatched it from your hand. "I-I've been looking a-all over for this!" she was sweating nervously and glancing between you and the phone as she immediately unlocked it and began to type out a text.  
  
You, in the meantime, finally glanced past Alphys into the lab itself.  
  
"Holy crap!" Alphys squeaked nervously as you slid past her and began looking around. The place was, honestly, huge. "This place has to take up the entire floor!"  
  
"U-um, yes... it does... T-they offered it to me b-because of my position as the Royal Scientist..." Alphys continued looking nervously between you and her phone, pausing to send out another reply as another text came in.  
  
You took a quick look at some of the equipment, not even sure what most of it was for. Then, you caught sight of the fact that almost the entire far wall was filled with floor-to-ceiling windows, resulting in an amazing view of the ocean.  
  
"Talk about a view..." you walked over and glanced down at the city below and the ocean beyond. The sun had already set, and you could see the moon reflected in the ocean.  
  
"Y-yes, it is a n-nice view, um..." Alphys continued to twitch nervously, glancing back at her phone every few seconds.  
  
"Is something wrong, Alphys?" you asked, concerned.  
  
"N-no! N-nothing's wrong! W-what gave you that i-idea?" She gave you the fakest, most anxious looking smile you'd ever seen, glancing nervously towards a computer off to the side.  
  
You followed her gaze and saw the computer was displaying a security feed of this very room.  
  
_"Why is Alphys watching security footage of the room she's already in? Heck, why is Alphys watching security footage at all?"_  
  
Alphys squealed when she realized you were looking at her computer screen in confusion, and quickly grabbed your arm and began tugging you towards the door, speaking very quickly: "OkaywellthanksforbringingmemyphoneIhavelotsofworktodosoyoushouldprobablygetgoingnow!"  
  
Alphys pulled open the door, then immediately yelped and slammed it shut again before shoving you off to the side.  
  
"Alphys, what the hell's going-"  
  
"Shh!!" she shushed you, and you reluctantly complied.  
  
She opened the door once again, but only a crack this time.  
  
"U-uh, hi, Undyne... W-what are you d-doing here?" she grinned nervously, sweat dripping down her brow.  
  
"...Seriously...?" You heard Undyne's voice respond, clearly exasperated. "I was on my way here to see you when the alarm for that Soul Tracker thing you installed for me went off on my phone." You saw a scaly blue hand press against the door as if to push it further open, but Alphys held tight, using her body to block the entry.  
  
You began to shift away as quietly as you could. You knew Alphys still hadn't told Undyne of your friendship, and you knew Undyne was among those who knew what you'd done and now hated you for it. Getting caught up here would only lead to trouble...  
  
"Ahaha... D-didn't you get m-my text? I-it was a false a-alarm. J-just a b-bug in the s-system!"  
  
Undyne's voice clearly expressed how little she believed that. "Oh, come off it, Alph. I know you better than that. You've checked that coding probably a hundred times since you wrote it, there's no way you would have missed something like that." Concern laced her words, "Something's up. What's wrong?"  
  
"N-nothing's wrong! I-I just have a l-lot of work to do!"  
  
You were focusing on making sure you remained out-of-sight from the door and didn't notice the tray of tools behind you. As soon as you bumped it, there was the sound of metal scraping on metal before one of the tools clattered loudly onto the floor. You and Alphys both paled.  
  
"What was that?!" Undyne growled and easily pushed past Alphys to step into the lab. She spotted you immediately and her eye widened in surprised briefly before narrowing in anger.  
  
**_"Shit..."_**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, all that writing Marge did is finally starting to pay-off. We've learned a lot of things, though there are still plenty of questions left. (Some we just haven't covered, but others even Marge didn't know. There's only so much you can infer with only 1 person's experiences.) 
> 
> Also, who here remembers that mental note Reader made at the fair to avoid letting Undyne's opinion of her go from 'awkward' to 'angry'? Well... Let's just say that Reader's currently treading on some VERY thin ice...


	20. The Spear of Justice! Undyne's Heart-Pounding Battle Against the Dread Mage!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last time, on Transmigration of the Soul: Our beloved heroine came face to face with a terrible foe in Alphys' lab. What terrible plot has the Dread Mage been weaving, and can our beloved heroine, Undyne, put an end to it before it's too late?! 
> 
> **Author's Note:** So, here's a rare treat: a note before the start of the chapter! Just a little recommended listening for when you read this chapter, really. You may want to pull up an extended version of Spear of Justice to enhance your reading experience, for, uh, no reason. You certainly won't find a point where it becomes appropriate theme music in this chapter. It's just a really catchy tune! ... Yep.
> 
> Carry on!

" **You...** " Undyne snarled, taking a menacing step towards you.  
  
Alphys quickly scrambled to get in between you and Undyne. "W-wait, Undyne! I-it's not what you think!"  
  
Undyne paused, staring at Alphys in confusion. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I-I'm sorry I didn't tell you... I-I was too a-afraid of what you'd think..." Alphys stared at the floor, worried.  
  
"Tell me what? What's going on?" Undyne watched Alphys with worry and confusion.  
  
"_____ and I became f-friends and have been spending t-time together during lunch here at work..."  
  
"What?! How?! Since when?!" Undyne was shocked.  
  
"S-since she and Papyrus were attacked at the end of September... I... I saw her in the hospital while we were visiting the next day... And... well, after seeing her rush in to defend Papyrus during the attack, I knew s-she couldn't be all bad... I... I wanted to see for myself what she was like... So, I... I asked if she wanted to be friends..." Alphys took a moment to take in a few breaths before finally bringing her eyes up to Undyne's. "A-and I was right! ... Or, well, Papyrus was right. She really is a good person, Undyne. S-she likes anime, and computers, and she listens to me when I start rambling, and... S-she's been a good friend."  
  
Undyne looked between Alphys and you, clearly conflicted. She gave Alphys a pitying look before gently pushing her off to the side in order to face you directly. The look she settled on you was forbidding, rage sparking in her eye.  
  
"You think I'm going to fall for that?" she spat at you.  
  
"W-what??" you stuttered in confusion.  
  
"You really think I'm going to believe that Alphys has been secretly friends with you for over a month now, and never told me about it?" she growled.  
  
"U-Undyne-" Alphys was cut-off as Undyne placed a finger to her lips, shushing her.  
  
"I know this isn't your fault, Alphy," she soothed. Undyne turned back to you, the dark look returning to her face. "You **kissed** her, didn't you?"  
  
Alphys began sputtering incoherently, and you leveled an utterly bewildered look at Undyne. "What the fuck? Where did- Why would you even **think** that?"  
  
"Hah! You can't fool me, human! I'm well versed on your history and know all about your mind-control kisses!" Undyne declared, angry but smug. "You're probably controlling Papyrus the same way, aren't you?!" she growled.  
  
It suddenly clicked in your head. The main character in Mew Mew Kissy Cutie controlled people by kissing them. Alphys was obsessed with that show, so you had little doubt that Undyne knew all about it, too, but she couldn't possibly think that was real, could she?  
  
"N-no, Undyne! Mew Mew isn't real! _____ can't control people's minds!" Alphys desperately tried to explain, grabbing onto Undyne's arm to try and get her attention.  
  
Undyne simply shrugged Alphys off of her. "Don't worry, babe. I know you're not yourself. And if she's not willing to release the spell she's got you under, well, then I'm just going to have to **make** her."  
  
Your eyes widened in horror as a glowing blue spear formed in Undyne's hand, her eye locking with yours with deadly intent. "W-wait! I swear I didn't-"  
  
"Time's up, mage! NGAHHHH!!!" Undyne lunged at you.  
  
You dove out of the way of her swing, scrambling away from her across the floor. Undyne was quick to pursue. Her next thrust caught the edge of your shirt as it flared out when you threw yourself out of the way.  
  
"No, Undyne! Don't!" Alphys cried out in panic, doing her best to slow and distract Undyne before she skewered you.  
  
You managed to scramble back to your feet and shoved a tray of equipment in between you and Undyne. It didn't slow her down much as she surged forward, her next thrust just barely missing your head.  
  
"SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! **SHIT!** " You cursed, taking advantage of your much smaller frame to dive underneath a heavy table and out the other side, the linoleum tiles cracking loudly behind you as Undyne's spear was embedded in them.  
  
You quickly scrambled back to your feet and made a break for the door.  
  
"I don't think so!" Undyne snarled.  
  
A wall of spears thrust out of the floor, blocking the doorway, and you barely skidded to a stop before colliding with them. You whipped around to find that Undyne had already caught up with you.  
  
"I've got you now!" She grinned menacingly.  
  
You paled in horror as she swung her spear at you, then looked on in confusion as nothing seemed to happen and Undyne jumped back a bit.  
  
_"Did she miss or something? Did Alphys stop her? No time for that! I've got to run!"_  
  
....  
  
Your legs refused to obey. You twisted and turned helplessly, but were otherwise rooted to the spot. Your fear deepened as Undyne's smile widened.  
  
"Your soul is green now. There's no running away while you're green. Guess you'll just have to learn to face me head on!"  
  
It was then that you noticed that your soul had been pulled out from your chest and the dingy green of your soul was surrounded by a glowing, bright green magic. You looked up at Undyne again and were overwhelmed by terror as at least a dozen spears formed in the air around her, crackling as if made from lightning, and all of them aimed at you.  
  
"NGAHH!!" Undyne roared and the energy spears whipped out and began darting at you from different angles.  
  
You cried out in pain as the first one struck your side, the blow like an electrical shock to your system. You were hit two more times before you realized that the ones coming at you from the front never made it, dispersing as they struck a transparent green shield before you. The shield twisted with you to always remain in front of you, and you began to turn to face the spears.  
  
"HAHAHA! THAT'S IT! SHOW ME WHAT YOU'VE GOT, MAGE!" Undyne cackled as you successfully blocked the last of the spears.  
  
You tensed as Undyne darted forward, swiping you once again with her spear. You saw the green magic fade from your soul and the feral grin on Undyne's face. It was then that you caught a bit of movement out of the corner of your eye and instinctively threw yourself backwards against the wall of spears just in time as another spear darted past you from the side, this one solid like the first spears, not crackling electricity like the ones you'd just blocked.  
  
You heard Alphys gasp at the near-miss. "U-Undyne!" she squeaked in horror.  
  
You ducked past Undyne's left as she took another stab at you. You couldn't let her keep you backed against a wall!  
  
You panted heavily as you ran behind some machine, trying to keep something, anything, between you and Undyne.  
  
Undyne growled in annoyance. "Come on! FIGHT ME!"  
  
You dove to the ground as it became apparent that Undyne didn't need line-of-sight on you to summon spears to try and impale you. These ones came close. Too close. You could feel blood welling up where they'd clipped you on the arm and back.  
  
You realized that if this didn't end soon... If you didn't find a way to escape or at least stop Undyne... She was going to **kill** you!  
  
"I-I don't want to f-fight you!" you stuttered out, stumbling back as another spear clipped your pant leg.  
  
Undyne seemed unmoved by your declaration.  
  
"U-Undyne, please stop!" Alphys begged, once again trying to hold back her girlfriend.  
  
It wasn't much, but this gave you enough time to get some distance between you and Undyne. You ducked behind a desk and desperately tried to catch your breath, sweat dripping off of you.  
  
"AAAH!!" you cried out as Undyne leaped effortlessly over the desk and landed in front of you, looking annoyed.  
  
"Stop running!" She snapped at you.  
  
You promptly ignored this demand and scrambled away from her again. You didn't make it far before you found yourself rooted again. You turned and saw even more spears form than before and prepared yourself for the onslaught.  
  
You realized belatedly that you didn't have a wall to your back this time, and that meant there was room for spears to approach from behind, too. You lost your focus as the first one from behind shocked you, causing you to miss several others as you tried to catch back up.  
  
You were still shaken as she released her hold on your soul and another solid spear launched towards you. This one caught your left shoulder, leaving a nasty gash that immediately began oozing blood.  
  
Despite what you expected, Undyne did not seem pleased with this.  
  
"Why won't you fight me?!" she snarled at you, clearly angry. "If you don't start fighting back soon, you're just going to die!"  
  
You stumbled away, terrified and exhausted. You wearily dodged more spears, each one clipping you some place new and drawing blood. A muted part of your mind quietly noted that these spears almost seemed like they weren't aimed to kill you like the early ones had been, taking less effort to avoid the worst damage.  
  
  
It wasn't long before you found your soul turned green again. You turned to Undyne again, fearful and exhausted. You weren't sure how much more you could take.  
  
The spears formed and began flying at you.  
  
Left.  
  
Forward.  
  
Left.  
  
Back.  
  
Right.  
  
Forwa- The yellow spear suddenly arced around you and struck you from behind.  
  
"AAH!" you cried out and again were thrown off the rhythm, being shocked a few more times by the arcing yellow spears.  
  
The green magic faded and you stumbled.  
  
"AAGH!" you howled in pain as the follow-up spear tore through your right side. You clasped the wound as blood began to gush from it.  
  
Undyne watched you with a cold, unmoving eye, utterly unamused. She stepped forward, her spear gripped tightly in her hand.  
  
You teetered on your feet. _"This is it... she's going to kill me... I... No... NO... I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!"_  
  
The edges of your soul began to bleed red. Undyne halted her advance at the look of desperate determination that bloomed on your face.  
  
"AAAAARRRAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGH!!!!" You screamed as you wound back your fist and swung at Undyne with everything you had.  
  
The blow connected with the center of her chest, a look of surprise upon her face.  
  
Alphys stared in horror.  
  
You panted for a few moments before glancing up. Undyne had a look of consternation on her face as she stared down at you. She grabbed your arm away from her chest and practically lifted you in the air, your toes barely reaching the ground as you dangled by your arm.  
  
"That... was it?" she asked, exasperated.  
  
You could only stare in stunned silence.  
  
"That's all you could muster, was that wimpy little attack? What kind of idiot mage are you?! Use your **freaking magic!** " she snarled, thoroughly frustrated.  
  
"I-I can't..." you wheezed out between your desperate breaths of air.  
  
"What do you mean you can't?!" She demanded.  
  
"I-I don't know how!" you exclaimed.  
  
"What do you mean you don't know how?! I **saw** you disappear after the fair!" she accused.  
  
"D-don't you think if I knew how to do that intentionally I would have escaped by now?!" you reasoned desperately.  
  
Undyne's eye narrowed at you as she contemplated this. You just hung, trembling under her gaze.  
  
"I-I can't do any magic... not intentionally, anyway... P-Papyrus offered to teach me, but I refused... T-told him it's caused too much trouble in the past..."  
  
Undyne studied you critically for a few more moments before bringing her other hand, now without her spear, up to her face in exasperation and lowering you back to the ground.  
  
"You're an even bigger weenie than I THOUGHT you were!" she sighed, clearly disappointed.  
  
Your legs trembled beneath you as the adrenaline began to leave your system.  
  
"Shit!" Undyne cursed and grabbed your arms to steady you before you could fall.  
  
You hissed in pain as this aggravated your cuts and wounds.  
  
"Oh my god!" Alphys began fluttering around you anxiously as she took in your injuries.  
  
Undyne began to sweat nervously as she realized just the sort of condition you were in, and how, if you truly didn't know how to use magic, you kind of hadn't actually done anything to deserve it... Well, recently, anyway.  
  
"Ugh..." your were light-headed and everything felt like it was spinning. You were beyond exhausted.  
  
"Hey! What are you doing? Pull yourself together! This is no time to-" you didn't hear the rest of it as you passed out.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You blearily clawed your way back to consciousness. You felt like a train wreck with your head dizzy and throbbing, and pain just... well, everywhere. All your muscles ached, and there were a number of sharper pains across your body. The worst, though, was your left shoulder and your right side.  
  
You opened your eyes and took in your surroundings. You were on a couch with a blanket draped over you, but not one you recognized. You looked around the room and realized you had absolutely no idea where you were. Across from the couch was a fairly large television, with game consoles and stacks of games and DVDs near it. The walls were decorated with various posters and anime scrolls, and there were several shelves with figurines displayed on them. You couldn't make out which characters were featured, though, as the light was off, and you only had the light streaming in from an adjacent room to work with.  
  
On second thought, you had a pretty good guess of where you were.  
  
Your suspicions were confirmed when Undyne suddenly leaned over the back of the couch. "So, you're finally awake, huh?"  
  
Your instant reaction to her sudden appearance was to panic, and you threw yourself off the couch to get away from her. This turned out to be a big mistake, as it aggravated your over-exerted muscles, cuts, and wounds, and what had been a constant, dull ache blossomed into agony.  
  
"S-shit!" Undyne cursed as you cried out in pain, a look of guilt crossing her face. She started to round the couch but stopped when you flinched at her drawing near. She scratched the back of her head, not entirely sure what to do. Finally, she decided to call in some help. "Hey, Alph! Come in here! She's finally awake!"  
  
It didn't take long for Alphys to arrive, turning on the light as she entered, and she immediately started at seeing you splayed out on the floor. "Are you okay?! Here, let me help you!" she scurried past Undyne and immediately began helping you back up onto the couch. The two of you struggled with the movement a bit before you finally succeeded.  
  
Alphys saw you give Undyne a wary glance, and looked over to where Undyne was fidgeting, unsure of what to do with herself. "Undyne, why don't you make something for _____ to eat?" she suggested gently.  
  
"Y-yeah, sure. No problem." Undyne took the excuse to leave the room.  
  
You let out a relieved breath you hadn't realized you'd been holding in.  
  
"I-I'm so, so sorry for what happened in my lab..." Alphys said, unable to meet your eyes.  
  
You thought on what had happened earlier and shuddered a bit at the memory. "I-it's not your fault. You tried to stop it."  
  
"B-but it is my fault. I-if I had just been h-honest with Undyne from the start..." Alphys trailed off guiltily.  
  
"If you'd been honest from the start, she may have tried to prevent us from being friends at all, in an effort to protect you." You pointed out.  
  
"She... she might have." Alphys agreed, almost noncommittally. There was an uneasy silence between you two for several moments before Alphys spoke up again. "I... I spoke to Undyne. I told her everything, and... and she feels really bad about what happened."  
  
You looked over at Alphys, cringing a bit in disbelief. "She tried to **kill** me, Alphys." You regretted saying that immediately, as the guilty look on Alphys' face worsened.  
  
"I-I... S-she's always been a b-bit hot-headed... B-but she just thought she was p-protecting me..." she trailed off again.  
  
You sighed. You liked Alphys, and you didn't want to make her feel worse for a situation that wasn't even her fault, but Undyne nearly, no, she **had** skewered you with a freaking spear! Your hand drifted to the bandages on your wounded side. And why? Because she thought you had Alphys under some sort of mind-control she learned about from an anime? What was up with that?  
  
"Alphys, why did Undyne think I had mind-controlled you?"  
  
"Erm... w-well..." Alphys began to blush furiously. "I m-may have, kind of sort of, toldheranimewasactuallyhumanhistoryandnowshethinksanimeisreal?" she grinned her typical 'I just admitted to something terribly embarrassing' grin.  
  
You stared deadpan at Alphys.  
  
"I-I've tried telling her that anime isn't real, t-that I only said it was human history to make her t-think I was cooler, b-but I've only managed to convince her that SOME anime isn't r-real."  
  
You stared at Alphys for several long moments. "So, Undyne thinks that anime is real..."  
  
"O-only some of it..."  
  
"...And because of that, she thinks that humans can mind-control people by kissing them, like in Mew Mew Kissy Cutie..."  
  
"J-just humans with magical powers..."  
  
"... And because of **that** , she thought I kissed you and mind-controlled you, and then tried to kill me for it?"  
  
"Y-yes?" Alphys was sweating bullets by this point.  
  
The absolute absurdity of the situation hit you like a ton of bricks. A snort of laughter escaped you... followed by quiet giggling... which evolved into full-blown laughter, which hurt like hell, by the way.  
  
Alphys stared at you in confusion, unsure if she should take your laughter as a good sign, or if your mind had broken under the stress.  
  
Eventually, your laughter died down and you took a moment to catch your breath. It was then that you finally noticed that the clothes you were wearing weren't yours.  
  
"Uh... Alphys?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Who's clothes am I wearing?"  
  
"Oh! Um..." Alphys was once again blushing in embarrassment. "They're... they're Undyne's. We... we kind of needed to remove your other clothes to t-treat your wounds. A-and your other clothes were all ripped and b-bloody, so we couldn't p-put those back on you... A-and my clothes aren't t-tailored for human physiology, so Undyne volunteered her p-pajamas..."  
  
You blushed furiously at the realization that both Alphys and Undyne had seen you mostly, if not completely, naked.  
  
It was at that point that Undyne re-entered the room, a plate of spaghetti in her hands. She winced as you averted your eyes, not realizing that it was for a completely different reason now.  
  
"H-here. I made you some apology spaghetti." She quickly plopped the plate onto your lap, with you scrambling to make sure you didn't end up wearing it, and then she quickly backed off to what she deemed a safe distance to try and avoid intimidating you. She refused to meet your gaze.  
  
"Apology spaghetti?" you questioned.  
  
"Y-yeah. To, you know, say I'm sorry for thinking you mind-controlled Alphys, and then nearly killing you..." she muttered, clearly uncomfortable.  
  
You observed Undyne for a moment, and couldn't help but remember the time Papyrus had made you apology spaghetti for accidentally destroying the casserole you'd been cooking by cranking up the heat to max. A small smile formed at the memory, followed by a light chuckle at seeing Undyne, who you'd only ever seen strong and confident, so out of sorts. She looked over at you, surprised.  
  
"Well, I guess you would have a pretty hard time finding a 'Sorry I tried to murder you' card, so I guess this will do." you teased.  
  
Upon realizing you were joking with her, Undyne looked relieved.  
  
You took a small bite of the spaghetti and nearly choked at the taste, struggling to swallow the bite before speaking again. "... I-I see Papyrus really does get his cooking skills from you..."  
  
Undyne beamed, puffing out her chest proudly. "You bet! Papyrus comes over for cooking lessons every week!" She saw you glance warily down at the plate without taking another bite. "Well, go on! Eat up! It's infused with magic and will help you heal!"  
  
Undyne was looking at you expectantly. You shot Alphys a look, and she just shrugged helplessly. You struggled to keep the grimace off your face, then took another bite. Undyne seemed satisfied by this.  
  
"Good, isn't it?! Ah! I forgot to bring you something to wash it down with. Let me make you some tea!" Undyne grinned and rushed back off towards the kitchen.  
  
Once she was out of earshot, you whispered to Alphys, "Please tell me all of her cooking isn't this bad?"  
  
Alphys giggled. "It's not. Her spaghetti can actually be pretty good when she takes her time making it, but I think she was kind of in a rush to apologize with this batch. And don't worry about the tea, I've never had her make me a bad cup before."  
  
You sighed in relief. "I think both her and Papyrus could use a bit more patience and restraint in the kitchen..." A thought suddenly occurred to you. "Wait... Papyrus... I normally text him when I get home from work... Shit! What time is it?! Where's my phone?!"  
  
You began looking around for it in a panic.  
  
"L-let me get that for you!" Alphys stood and grabbed your stuff from an end table in the corner of the room, bringing it over to you.  
  
You rifled through your bag and pulled out your phone. It was nearly 9 o'clock at night, and you had dozens of texts and missed calls from Papyrus. You brought up your contacts list to call Papyrus and let him know you weren't dead, unsure of how you'd explain what had happened. Undyne was just walking back into the room with your tea as you were doing this, when suddenly the front door was slammed open so hard it nearly broke off its hinges.  
  
"UNDYNE! YOU HAVE TO HELP! _____ HAS BEEN MISSING FOR HOURS AND-" Papyrus stopped mid-sentence upon spotting you seated on the couch, phone in your hand, plate of spaghetti in your lap, and looking utterly bewildered.  
  
You could feel the tension coil as he stared at you for several long moments. Apparently Undyne could feel the tension, too, as she had already placed down the cup of tea and managed to grab Papyrus mid-leap as he threw himself at you in an attempt to hug you. You were very grateful for this because, as much as you loved being hugged by Papyrus, being tackled by a skeleton was kind of painful even when you weren't hurt.  
  
"Whoa! Whoa! Easy there! She's hurt, and you don't want to aggravate her injuries, do you?" Undyne chastised.  
  
"HURT?? WHAT HAPPENED, _____?" He stared at you anxiously.  
  
You paled a bit, unsure how to tell Papyrus that one of his best friends had tried to murder you. You shared an unsure look with Undyne, who sighed and decided to own up to it herself.  
  
"Look, Papyrus..." she began awkwardly. "I... may have thought she was using her magic to mind-control Alphys and tried to kill her for it..."  
  
Papyrus looked at Undyne in confusion. "BUT... _____ DOESN'T HAVE THE POWER TO MIND-CONTROL PEOPLE, AND, EVEN IF SHE DID, SHE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO USE MAGIC."  
  
"W-well, I know that NOW!" Undyne blustered. "L-look, I let her use my pajamas since her clothes were wrecked, and I already made her apology spaghetti! See!" She pointed to the plate on your lap.  
  
Papyrus looked once again at the spaghetti, and his eye sockets widened. "APOLOGY SPAGHETTI? DOES THIS MEAN YOU TWO ARE... FRIENDS?" His eye sockets glittered hopefully.  
  
You and Undyne once again exchanged a look, this time trying to figure out where exactly this series of events left your relationship.  
  
"I, uh... Well... I guess? If the human wants to, I mean..." Undyne fidgeted, unsure of how you'd react. She was once again surprised as you let out a relieved chuckle.  
  
"Well, I don't want you as an enemy, that's for certain!" you teased.  
  
Undyne's surprise morphed into a grin, then a chuckle. "You better believe it!"  
  
"YES!" Everyone turned towards Alphys at her exclamation, and she blushed in embarrassment, but couldn't contain her excitement. "N-now we can talk whenever we want, and you can come over and watch anime with us, or we can play video games, and it'll be so much fun!"  
  
"Speaking of which, why don't we watch some anime now? Alphys just brought home this series about humans that can turn into weapons, and they go around with their partners to collect bad-guys' souls and become powerful weapons for the incarnation of death, himself!"  
  
"Actually, Alphys borrowed that one from me." you admitted.  
  
"A lot of the anime I've brought home recently was recommended by _____." Alphys agreed.  
  
"What? Really?" Undyne seemed surprised.  
  
"But I don't mind watching that one again. It's a really awesome series. But... we have work tomorrow..." you glanced at Alphys.  
  
"I don't think you should be going to work until your wounds heal more. And as for me, I'm not going to be able to get any work done until my lab is repaired, anyway." Alphys stated.  
  
Both you and Undyne looked sheepish at knowing you two were the cause of Alphys' lab being a wreck.  
  
"SO, ARE YOU GOING TO TELL YOUR WORK THAT YOU WERE INJURED BECAUSE UNDYNE BATTLED YOU?" Papyrus asked, and Undyne and Alphys paled.  
  
"P-please don't... If word gets out that a human was attacked by a monster..." Alphys trailed off.  
  
"Seriously, if you want to get back at me for what I did, I can understand and will accept it, but please don't let this go public. There's already too much anti-monster sentiment, and even one incident could convince others that their cause has some credence. It could be disastrous for all monsters..." Undyne begged.  
  
"I don't want to get back at you. We've all done some pretty stupid things," you reassured her, "But how exactly are we suppose to keep this quiet? I mean, there's a security camera in your lab, isn't there, Alphys? And even if no one saw that, they'll still question how your lab got wrecked."  
  
"T-the camera in my lab is my own personal one. It's not connected to the security office. I... I don't like the idea of others watching me while I work, and since the president of MEET co. was eager to hire me due to my status as Royal Scientist, he was willing to fulfill some of my requests." The irony of Alphys not liking cameras watching her was lost on you. "He's actually very nice, and is very supportive of helping monsters integrate with human society... That was one of the main reasons I agreed to the job... I'm sure if I talk to him, he'd be willing to keep this all quiet. Of course, he'll probably want to talk to you, too, _____, to make sure that this is all one big misunderstanding and that he's not covering up something you want reported to the police."  
  
"Me, meet the president of the company? Wow. Um, sure. No problem. I'll probably have to tell my coworkers that I was attacked, but they don't need to know by who. It's not like it would be the first time, right? Hopefully this doesn't become a monthly thing." you smiled reassuringly at them.  
  
"Whew. Thanks." Undyne let out a breath of relief. "I guess you really aren't so bad, huh? Well, come on! Let's pop in that anime!"  
  
"WELL, THEN, SINCE I KNOW YOU ARE SAFE NOW, I SUPPOSE I SHOULD BE GOING..." Papyrus turned to leave.  
  
You exchanged a devious look with Alphys and leaned forward to grab hold of Papyrus' hand. He turned and looked at you quizzically.  
  
"Don't go, Paps... Won't you stay for at least a little while? Please?" You gave him the biggest puppy-dog eyes you could muster, ignoring Alphys' stifled giggles.  
  
Papyrus' jaw opened and shut a few times, a light blush beginning to stain his cheek bones. He nervously glanced to the side before answering. "I... I SUPPOSE I COULD STAY FOR A LITTLE WHILE. JUST... JUST LET ME TEXT MY BROTHER TO LET HIM KNOW WHERE I AM."  
  
You and Alphys grinned at each other. Operation: Get-Papyrus-Hooked-On-Anime was a go!  
  
Once snacks were prepared and everything was set up, it didn't take long for everyone to settle in on the couch and get caught up in the show, even Papyrus.  
  
Neither you nor Papyrus noticed the knowing look Alphys and Undyne exchanged after glancing at the two of you snuggled together, his arm around your shoulder as you watched the show.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be honest. This is actually one of my favorite chapters. You guys have no idea how badly I wanted to post this after I finished writing it. Kind of funny that one of my favorite scenes in a Papyrus/Reader fic is actually about Undyne. Maybe I should change this to a Reader/Undyne fic, huh? ;P Nah. I'd never break up my OTP of Alphys/Undyne. 
> 
> Anyway, we've now added Undyne to the friend count! (And it also seems she's joined the crew of the good ship Friend Ship. ;) Welcome aboard, First Mate Undyne!) The cracks in that wall of fear and prejudice are growing larger with each friend Reader makes. It's only a matter of time before the wall that divides them comes tumbling down.
> 
> Not quite story related, but Chapter 20 seems like a good enough milestone to start looking back on what we've got so far. It has occurred to me that there is a massive difference in the size and scope of the chapters I'm writing now as opposed to when I first started. It's kind of funny, because you can actually tell exactly which chapters I had written before I finally took the plunge and started posting, only to realize that those chapters which looked **so long** to me in my word document were actually pretty damn short. (Hint: Chapter 7 was a record-breaking 2,044 words. Then, Chapter 8, which was part-1 of the trip to the fair, was more than double that at 4,536 words.) 
> 
> After that, I stopped worrying about word-count so much, and I think the story's benefited from that. (I hope you all agree. :) ) In fact, while there have been shorter chapters here and there, the average word count for each chapter has risen as we've progressed. We've gone from Chapter 2's impossibly short 1,062 words, to breaking the 5,000 word barrier with the upcoming chapter 21, and then breaking the 6,000 word barrier shortly after that!
> 
> As for the content itself, I'm glad I've managed to keep up a back-log of chapters, as I've hit a few bouts of writer's block. Thankfully nothing that lasted too long, but it takes the pressure off me to rush things out for the scheduled Wednesday/Saturday updates. (It's also kind of nice that I have a bit of leeway with going back and tweaking previously written chapters before they're posted to better fit or set-up for future chapters.) 
> 
> I'm still not sure how long this fic will be, but we've got a ways to go before the end will be in sight. During one of my bouts of writer's block, I took the time to detail out the major plot-points/progression of the story, but you can never tell how much inspiration and fluff might sprout up in between, so even knowing the major story progression doesn't help me estimate how long til the conclusion. 
> 
> Either way, I hope you all have enjoyed reading the story as much as I've enjoyed writing it, and will continue to let me know your own reactions!


	21. A Series of Embarrassing Events

Papyrus slowly opened his eyes as the last vestiges of sleep crept away. It took him a moment to realize he was at Undyne and Alphys' house, and to remember why he was here. After he'd removed his battle-body and settled onto the couch in his regular clothes, he'd fallen asleep watching that anime thing with the rest of you. Now, he was splayed out on his back on the couch, his head resting against a pillow on one end, one leg propped up on the arm rest on the other side, and the other leg draped over the front of the couch, resting on the floor. The blanket draped over him was surprisingly heavy, though. He glanced down and realized: while there was, indeed a blanket draped over him, that was not the source of the weight splayed across him.  
  
His eye sockets widened as he realized you were fast asleep on top of him. He shifted a bit and began to blush when he realized just how you were positioned underneath the blanket. You were sleeping on your stomach, and besides your head resting on his chest, you had one arm partially wrapped around his own arm, and the other had somehow made its way part-way up his 'Cool Dude' shirt where your fingers were lightly curled around one of his ribs. Your lower body was twisted slightly to the side, with one leg between his and the back of the couch, and the other hooked around him, resting against his pelvis.  
  
Papyrus realized that he was trapped, with no way to get up without waking you. He looked down at your slumbering face, and decided that was okay. For a while he just laid there, watching the steady rise and fall of your chest, and feeling the warm puffs of air against him as you breathed deeply and evenly. He smiled gently at the sight. It was good to see you so at ease. You'd had such a rough few months, and he'd felt so helpless as you struggled, but slowly, day by day, things were improving. He was no longer alone in his faith of your character, and that meant that you were no longer as lonely. You had him and Cleo, sure, but you also had Alphys, Mariana, and even Undyne now! And not to mention Frisk, who had never lost faith and was just waiting for their mom to come around so they could see you again. He was proud of you. Proud, and happy for you, and something he couldn't quite name, but was good, and felt with a quiet intensity that made his breath catch and his magic begin to stir.  
  
He gently brushed some stray hairs out of your face, and you shifted at the light touch. Papyrus' breath caught in his throat as your fingers flexed around his ribs, your pelvis brushed against the side of his own, and your leg rubbed along his front. His blush brightened tenfold as his magic surged from the sensation. You settled quickly, and he found himself confused, embarrassed, and longing for more. What was that all about? What was this feeling? He recalled feeling something similar while watching Mettaton on TV, but nothing with this kind of odd intensity.  
  
He jumped slightly at a sudden flash of light and shutter sound, looking up to see a deviously-grinning Undyne who had sneaked around to the front of the couch with her phone as he'd been absorbed in his musings.  
  
"U-UNDY-" Papyrus started, but was shushed as Undyne slapped a hand to his mouth and gave a scolding whisper:  
  
"Do you want to wake her?"  
  
Papyrus shook his head, and blushed even harder as you shifted again, gently rubbing up against him underneath the blanket and stoking that odd sensation that quivered through his bones. Thankfully, Undyne didn't seem to notice his predicament.  
  
"I was going to ask you if you wanted to help me make breakfast, but it looks like you're a little tied up at the moment," Undyne whispered, smirking. "So, I'll just go ahead and get started, and leave you to pillow duty." She winked at him, then headed back towards the kitchen.  
  
Papyrus watched her go, then turned back to you, still embarrassed and confused.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You began to stretch as you eased once more into the land of the waking. You paused as you heard a high-pitched "NYEH?!" when you began to move. You glanced blearily up and were met by the blushing face of Papyrus.  
  
"Huh??" you supplied, intelligently, as your mind tried to put two and two together to figure out where you were and what was going on.  
  
You shifted a bit and winced in pain. That's right. Undyne turned you into a pin-cushion last night... and that pain in your back... it's no wonder you're sore after sleeping on a skeleton.  
  
...  
  
Wait...  
  
...  
  
Sleeping on a skeleton? Four, your brain provided helpfully. Two and two is four. And in this case, four meant that you'd fallen asleep at Alphys and Undyne's place, on top of one of your closest friends, in front of your other friend(s?) who was TOTALLY shipping you with him, despite the fact that your relationship with him was completely and utterly platonic (right??), and now you'd probably given her enough fuel to last a lifetime AND made things awkward between you and Papyrus. Splendid. Well done.  
  
"G-GOOD MORNING, _____!" Papyrus hoped his blushing wasn't too obvious. Well, if it wasn't at first, he was pretty sure the extra color he was gaining as you continued to lay on him staring at him with your own growing blush would be. "A-ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"  
  
"I, um, er..." Wow, you sure had a way with words this morning! "'M-morning, Paps..." you finished lamely.  
  
You began to push yourself off of him, quickly pulling your hand away when you realized it was up his shirt, then becoming even more embarrassed as you realized you were half-straddling him.  
  
_"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee."_ your brain provided. What a wonderfully astute observation. Thank you, brain.  
  
The two of you quickly disentangled, and you slumped back down on the now open part of the couch, trying to let your pounding heart slow back to a normal rhythm.  
  
"H-HOW ARE YOU FEELING TODAY?" Papyrus broke the awkward silence. "HOW ARE YOUR INJURIES?"  
  
You took a moment to assess yourself.  
  
"Everything still hurts, but most of it's just a dull throb, now."  
  
"WELL, YOU'D BE DOING BETTER IF YOU'D EATEN ALL OF YOUR APOLOGY SPAGHETTI!"  
  
You grimaced at the still half-full plate of spaghetti sitting on the coffee table nearby. You'd been goaded into eating more of it, but had managed to get out of eating the entire thing once everyone got caught up in the show.  
  
"NOT TO WORRY, THOUGH! UNDYNE IS MAKING US ALL BREAKFAST RIGHT NOW! BETWEEN THE TWO OF US, YOU'LL BE BACK TO FULL HEALTH IN NO TIME!" Papyrus beamed.  
  
"Oh, god..." you weren't sure if you could survive their combined cooking efforts.  
  
"WHAT DID YOU SAY? YOU KIND OF MUMBLED."  
  
"I said, 'Oh, good.'"  
  
You started a bit when Undyne popped her head in and spoke.  
  
"Good! You're up! If you two love-birds are done snuggling on the couch, breakfast is ready!" she grinned, before heading back to the kitchen.  
  
Both you and Papyrus flushed, and you covered your face with your palm.  
  
"She's never going to let us live that down, is she?"  
  
"NOT LIKELY."  
  
Papyrus stood up and you followed suit, groaning as your muscles ached and your wounds stretched unpleasantly.  
  
"DO YOU NEED HELP??" Papyrus looked at you in concern.  
  
"No... I'm alright." you began to hobble stiffly towards the door you'd seen Undyne go through.  
  
Once through it, you looked around uncertainly. You'd only seen the living room and bathroom so far, so had no idea which way to go. Thankfully, Papyrus passed you and lead the way, slowing his pace to match your own. You emerged into the kitchen where Undyne was setting food on the table as Alphys sat talking into her phone.  
  
"... Y-yes, sir, I fully understand. We'll be by to see you this afternoon if _____ is feeling up to it. I know it's important to get this straightened out as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding... Goodbye." Alphys hung up the phone and saw you hobble over to a chair, which Papyrus helpfully held out for you and slid you into place once you were seated. "A-ah! Good morning, _____! How are you feeling today?"  
  
"Good morning. I'm sore, but I'm doing alright. Was that the president of MEET co. you were talking to just now?"  
  
"Yes. As I suspected, he wants to talk to you about the incident. If you're feeling well enough, we'll stop by today to see him."  
  
You nodded in understanding. Undyne plopped the last dish, a plate of bacon, onto the table and took her seat between Papyrus and Alphys.  
  
"Alright, you nerds! Enough yapping, it's time to dig in!"  
  
Everyone began to fill their plates, and you eyed the food warily. It looked and smelled alright... Alphys, seeing your hesitation, gave you a reassuring smile. You began to fill your plate, taking small amount of everything so you could see for yourself how each tasted without risking resigning yourself to another cooking disaster. At least there was more tea this morning. Alphys had been right about that being good.  
  
As it turned out, Undyne wasn't a completely terrible cook. While the food wasn't jaw-droppingly amazing, it was still decent, and downright phenomenal when compared to last night's spaghetti. You wound up pigging out a little bit, but found that you were feeling better already. The ache of your muscles began to subside, and you felt a sense of contentment.  
  
Undyne's table manners, though, left much to be desired. She scarfed down her food, and when both she and Papyrus reached for the last slice of bacon, she challenged him to an arm-wrestling contest for it. This had resulted in them nearly flipping the table before Alphys complained and Undyne sheepishly decided to let Papyrus have the last piece.  
  
"So, which of you losers are going to help me do the dishes?" Undyne asked once everyone finished and had settled into idle chatter.  
  
"I WILL HELP YOU, UNDYNE!" Papyrus immediately volunteered.  
  
"I would help, but I really should check on _____'s bandages." Alphys spoke up.  
  
Undyne nodded. "No problem, Alph. Papyrus and I've got this covered."  
  
You were a bit relieved. You hated doing the dishes, and had been scolded more times than you'd like to count by Papyrus when he came over and discovered dirty pots and pans in your sink. He'd stopped believing your excuse that they 'needed to soak' a while ago.  
  
"Come on, _____. Let's head to my lab and change those bandages." Alphys lead the way out of the kitchen.  
  
"Your lab? At work?" you asked in confusion.  
  
"Oh! No, not that lab. I have a personal lab here at home." Alphys explained, leading you down the hallway and through an electronic door that slid open as the two of you approached.  
  
You looked around the room and saw that it was smaller than her lab at work, but also more homey and personalized. Well, as homey as a laboratory could get. Alphys pressed a few buttons on the keypad near the door and gestured towards a lab table near the center of the room.  
  
"There, now no one should be able to just walk in. Why don't you have a seat while I get the bandages and supplies."  
  
You walked over to the table, the hobble in your step mostly gone now. Maybe they were right about monster food having healing properties? Thankfully, Alphys was short like you, which meant her lab table was on the shorter side, too. This meant you didn't need to struggle to take a seat on it. You noticed a trash can nearby with some bloody rags in it. Oh, wait. Those were your clothes.  
  
"So, you patched me up here last night?" you asked.  
  
"Yes. Well, mostly. I did put in a few stitches for your larger wounds at work. Thankfully, the wounds weren't as bad as they looked at first, so we opted to bring you back here where I have more medical supplies before dealing with the rest." Alphys placed the bandages, ointments, and other tools on a nearby tray. "Now, if you'll just r-remove your shirt..."  
  
You both blushed, but you complied, or rather, tried to. Removing the shirt with an injured shoulder was proving to be challenging, and Alphys ended up having to help you. Once that was done, she began to unwind the bloody bandages, revealing cuts of various size and in various states of repair. You were still blushing at being so exposed, especially since your undergarments were likely part of the bloody mess in the trash can, as they certainly weren't on you.  
  
Alphys, on the other hand, took on a professional focus you'd never seen before. Once she got to work, it was like no one else was even there, just her and her work. She gently cleaned the wounds, checked the stitching to ensure it was still holding up, and began applying an ointment to your cuts. You felt more relaxed now with her no longer acknowledging the awkwardness of the situation. She was just a doctor treating a patient.  
  
You blinked as you heard the keypad by the door start beeping in the same manner it had when Alphys locked it. Alphys also seemed to notice, as her eyes widened and she whispered:  
  
"Oh, no!"  
  
"OH, YES!" The door slid open and Mettaton strode into the room. "I have the most wonderful news, darling! I'm opening a new restaurant nearby and it'll be the perfect opportunity to encourage- Oh, MY!" Mettaton stopped in his tracks as he finally noticed you seated completely topless on the table with Alphys standing in front of you, ointment still on her claws, both of you stock-still at his sudden appearance. "Well, **hello** beautiful!~" he winked at you, causing you to sputter and grab the shirt to cover your chest. He turned to Alphys. "My, my, my! Does Undyne know you're in here playing doctor?"  
  
"M-Mettaton! How many times do I have to tell you not to hack the door and let yourself in when I lock it? C-can't you see I'm in the middle of treating _____'s injuries and that she deserves some privacy?"  
  
"Injuries?" Mettaton's face took on an almost exaggerated look of shock and concern, and strode up to you, ignoring your angry and embarrassed sputtering. Upon seeing the stitched up wound on your shoulder and other cuts that weren't covered by the shirt you were holding up he grabbed your hand, almost making you drop the shirt, and declared dramatically, "Tell me what fiend did such a thing to you, darling, and I shall make him rue the day he dared lay a finger upon you!"  
  
Before you could say anything, two more figures entered the room.  
  
"What's all the ruckus in here- oh. It's **you.** " Undyne's face soured a bit as she spotted Mettaton. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"And a good morning to you as well, mon chéri." Mettaton replied curtly. "If you must know, I came to speak with Alphys, but then learned that some horrible, uncouth beast had the audacity to mar dear _____'s beautiful flesh. She was just about to tell me who the culprit was so that I could show the fiend why one does not harm such a lovely creature." he finished somewhat menacingly.  
  
"HAH! I'd like to see you try, you bag of bolts!" Undyne laughed.  
  
"It was YOU? My, I knew you were unrefined, but to lay your hands upon such a delicate creature in violence? I thought even you were better than that!" Mettaton was appalled.  
  
Papyrus, meanwhile, had spotted your state of undress and was busy trying to keep his eyes averted, unsure why no one else seemed to have noticed, and Alphys was too busy gaping at the growing argument to intervene.  
  
"UM... GUYS?"  
  
"So what if I'm no prissy princess?! I'm a warrior! The Captain of the Royal Guard! One of the strongest monsters around!" Undyne boasted.  
  
"You're an uncouth Neanderthal is what you are!" Mettaton shot back.  
  
The two looked about ready to come to blows.  
  
"That's **ENOUGH!** " you barked. Everyone's attention turned to you. "I want all of you OUT!" you growled lowly, indicated everyone but Alphys. They all stared at you a bit shocked at your anger. " **NOW!** " You snapped, and they quickly began to file out of the room. "AND NO FIGHTING!" you shouted after them when you spotted Undyne and Mettaton shooting glares at each other again.  
  
Alphys scampered over to the keypad to relock the door, and you let out a frustrated sigh. Alphys returned to applying the ointment and began to wrap fresh bandages around you.  
  
"Some day, huh?" Alphys broke the tense silence.  
  
"More like some year." You let out an exasperated laugh.  
  
Alphys began to relax again as the tension left you.  
  
"Ugh. It's too early for things to be this chaotic..." you whined.  
  
Alphys giggled. "Well, that's what happens when you start hanging around all of us."  
  
"Doesn't Papyrus' brother like to sleep in 'til noon or something? Maybe I should go be friends with just him, instead." you groaned. "Although, there was that time before I met him that he woke me up by calling me at 7 in the morning to tell me bad jokes. I guess I just can't win."  
  
Alphys laughed outright at this. "That does sound like Sans! He must have been pretty determined to get a reaction out of you to get up that early for his prank, though."  
  
Alphys helped you get the shirt back on, and then went to work on the cuts on your legs. Thankfully she was able to access them all simply by rolling up the pant legs, leaving you feeling far less exposed. It didn't take her long to finish up, now that there was no interruption.  
  
"There! All done! Everything looks like it's healing well. You'll be better before you know it!" Alphys beamed.  
  
"Thanks, Alphys." You smiled back.  
  
The two of you left to rejoin the others in the living room.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
It had taken some coaxing to get Undyne and Mettaton to stop bickering. Eventually, Alphys and Mettaton wandered off to talk, and Papyrus coaxed Undyne into doing some training to get her mind off of Mettaton. The three of you headed into Undyne's fitness room, which was well equipped, and if the thickness of the doorway was indication, very sturdily constructed. You watched the two of them train together, and were once again amazed at just how strong they both were. You were fairly convinced that she'd been holding back on her attempt to kill you last night. Watching her interact with Alphys and now Papyrus, it was fairly clear that she was a big softy at heart.  
  
A few hours later, after lunch, Alphys turned to you.  
  
"We should head in to the office to talk to Mr. Malintowski about last night. That is, if you're feeling up to it?"  
  
You took a moment to assess how you were feeling. Honestly, you were feeling quite a bit better than last night. Your muscles no longer felt sore and the cuts only seemed to bother you if you flexed the skin around them the wrong way. The only parts that were still causing you regular pain were your side and shoulder.  
  
"Yeah, I think so. Oh! But we'll need to stop by my apartment! I haven't fed Cleo since yesterday, and I need to get something to wear! No offense, Undyne, but your pjs aren't exactly 'meeting the company president' material."  
  
"Well, why not? Nothing quite says 'you're not so tough' like showing up to a meeting with your boss in pjs!" Undyne cackled in amusement.  
  
You laughed. "As true as that is, that's not quite the impression I want to make. Anyway, I'll see you guys later."  
  
Papyrus and Mettaton also took that as their cue to leave, and said their goodbyes as well.  
  
"YOU WILL TEXT ME WHEN YOU GET HOME AFTER THE MEETING, RIGHT?" Papyrus asked as you opened up the passenger side door of Alphys' car.  
  
"Of course. And if I'm unconscious again, Alphys will text you in my stead."  
  
"O-of course, that won't h-happen again!" Alphys stuttered sheepishly.  
  
Papyrus nodded in understanding. "ALRIGHT. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR MEETING!"  
  
You slid into the car and told Alphys your address so she could type it in to her GPS. It was a quiet, but relaxed drive, listening to some Japanese pop radio station.  
  
Once at your apartment, you warned Alphys of how wary Cleo was of strangers and instructed her to just not interact with her. Cleo, for her part, seemed more concerned with the fact that she hadn't been fed than the strange yellow dinosaur in the living room. You gave her a few extra treats as an apology.  
  
The next half hour was spent digging through your wardrobe for something, anything, nice enough to meet the president of MEET co. You eventually found a long-sleeve blouse and skirt combination that looked nice, and some fairly basic dress shoes to go with it. And, of course, some fresh underwear, thank god. After some struggling, Alphys ended up helping you change your shirt again rather than have you risk ripping your stitches and reopening your shoulder wound. You were beginning to suspect that this would be a regular problem until you were healed.  
  
"D-don't worry. I can stop by before and after work each day to help you change, if you like." Alphys offered.  
  
"What? Are you sure? You don't need to go out of your way like that."  
  
"Really! It's no problem! It's the least I can do after what happened, and besides, what are friends for?"  
  
You still didn't like the fact that Alphys was blaming herself, but accepted the aid, anyway. "Thanks. At this rate you'll see me shirtless more times than all my previous boyfriends combined!" you joked.  
  
Alphys blushed, but laughed anyway.  
  
The two of you headed back out to MEET co. Once there, you got into the elevator and headed up to the top floor. You were feeling pretty nervous. It wasn't often that someone from an entry level position had a fairly private meeting with the president of the company, and, of course, it wasn't because of anything good.  
  
You glanced to the side to see how Alphys was faring, and were a bit surprised to see that she didn't look nervous at all.  
  
_"Geez. If Alphys isn't worried at all, than there's probably nothing to be afraid of."_ Despite telling yourself this, you couldn't stop the butterflies fluttering about in your stomach.  
  
The elevator dinged as you reached the top floor of the building and stepped into the waiting room. The room was well-lit and featured comfortable looking chairs and sofas, tons of magazines, potted plants, and models of various types of technology the company was developing. High-efficiency solar panels, cybernetic limbs, new engine designs for motor vehicles and planes that ran on clean energy, and even this year's christmas craze: an incredibly advanced virtual reality system that was developed with such efficiency it sold for about half the price of their competitors. It was truly remarkable what this company had accomplished in just a year's time.  
  
You realized you'd gotten caught up in the scenery, and picked up the pace to catch up with Alphys just as she reached the secretary's desk.  
  
"Heya, Alphy. I was told you might be in today. Heard your girlfriend got overzealous in your lab, and now you need some remodeling." The secretary laughed.  
  
"Hello, Jaina. Yes, it's a bit of a mess down there at the moment."  
  
"And who's this?" Jaina eyed you curiously.  
  
"This is my friend, _____. She's here to speak with Mr. Malintowski as well."  
  
"Nice to meet you. I'm Jaina." Jaina extended her hand and shook yours.  
  
"It's nice to meet you, too." You watched her curiously. She was far more casual than you expected someone working directly for the big boss to be.  
  
"So, is Mr. Malintowski available, or should we sit down and wait?" Alphys asked.  
  
"Just a moment, let me find out."  
  
She picked up the nearby phone and hit a couple buttons before setting it to speaker.  
  
"Yes, Jaina? What is it?" The voice on the other side asked.  
  
"What time did you say you'd be available to talk to Alphy and _____, Mal-Mal?"  
  
"Mal-Mal??" The baffled look on your face must have been pretty obvious, as Jaina's shit-eating grin grew.  
  
"Dammit, Jaina! I told you not to call me that at work! It's so unprofessional! How's anyone suppose to take me seriously with that nickname?" he whined, not unlike a child.  
  
There were a tense few seconds of silence as Jaina continued to grin. She was barely stifling her giggles when Mr. Malintowski spoke up again.  
  
"...They're standing right there at your desk, aren't they?"  
  
"Yep!"  
  
"...And, naturally, you have the speaker phone on, don't you?"  
  
"Of course!" her giggles were starting to slip out now.  
  
Mr. Malintowski let let out an exasperated sigh. "I really should have never introduced you to my wife. You two will be the death of me."  
  
"So, should I send them in, Mal-Mal?"  
  
"Yes, yes. Send them in. Before you damage my reputation further!"  
  
There was a click as the call was disconnected. You just stared at Jaina, who seemed utterly pleased with herself. She seemed to sense your confusion, and decided to explain  
  
"Mr. Malintowski has an little 5-year-old adopted daughter named Autumn who calls him 'Mal-Mal'. She is the sweetest little thing you've ever seen, and she has him absolutely wrapped around her little finger. He may grump and moan sometimes, but he's really just a big softy. Sometimes it's just good to know that even the top-dog is just a regular man, huh?" She smiled at you.  
  
"Hah, yeah, it is. Thanks." You smiled back. You were feeling less intimidated after that display.  
  
The phone rang, and Jaina put it on speaker phone again.  
  
"Jaina, are you sending them in, or do you plan on telling them my life story, first?" Mr. Malintowski grumbled, though it was in a way that gave you the impression that this was a regular occurrence.  
  
"Just finished telling them what a big teddy bear you are, Mal-Mal. Sending them in, now."  
  
There was a slightly exasperated groan from the other end before he hung up again.  
  
"As much fun as it is to make him wait, you should probably go on in now." Jaina shrugged nonchalantly.  
  
Alphys lead the way through the fancy doors just past the desk and into a large, stately room. The room was just as impressive as you expected, with bookshelves, fine wood paneling, large windows, diplomas, documentation, and awards proudly displayed. At the center of it all sat a large wooden desk, polished to a fine sheen, and several comfortable chairs before it. Behind the desk sat a man who appeared to be in his 40s, black hair starting to grey. He was tall and thin, and dressed in a sharp looking suit. He stood as you approached, extending his hand first to Alphys, then yourself for a firm handshake.  
  
"Doctor Alphys! It's good to see you! And you must be Miss _____ she's been telling me about. My name is Malcolm Malintowski. I'm glad to make your acquaintance. Come, have a seat." His face was gentle and inviting, and he appeared to be just as much the teddy bear Jaina claimed he was. No wonder Alphys wasn't nervous around him.  
  
"Good afternoon, Mr. Malintowski." Alphys greeted and took her seat.  
  
"It's nice to meet you as well." You also took a seat.  
  
Mr. Malintowski sat down now as well. "So, I'm told there was quite a bit of excitement in Alphys' lab yesterday?"  
  
You fidgeted. Straight to business, it seems.  
  
"Yes... Unfortunately, as I told you, there was a misunderstanding and my girlfriend, Undyne, thought _____ meant me harm, and... well... came to my defense..." Alphys trailed off, embarrassed.  
  
"Did _____ mean you harm?"  
  
"N-no! Not at all! It was one big misunderstanding!"  
  
"And you did try to stop it, I presume?"  
  
"Yes... Undyne was, unfortunately, being stubborn, though."  
  
"May I inquire what this misunderstanding was about?"  
  
"I..." Alphys faltered. "I'm afraid I can't say, sir. It involves classified information from the monster embassy."  
  
Mr. Malintowski's eyebrows rose sharply at this.  
  
"Then, may I ask if it's likely to happen again?"  
  
"N-no! It won't happen again, sir! I swear!" Alphys floundered. Mr. Malintowski still did not look terribly convinced.  
  
"It's true." You spoke up. "It won't happen again. It was a bit of a... unique scenario." You assured him.  
  
Now Mr. Malintowski turned towards you.  
  
"And as for you, Alphys informed me that you were injured in the scuffle. Are you alright?" he seemed genuinely concerned for your health, not just because you were attacked within his building.  
  
"I'm fine. Nothing I won't recover from." You smiled reassuringly. He nodded his understanding.  
  
"You will, of course, be needing some time off to ensure you heal properly. Don't worry, it's already taken care of." He assured you. "Now, there's the matter of whether you wished to press charges against.. Undyne was it?"  
  
You didn't even hesitate. "That won't be necessary. As Alphys said, it was all just a big misunderstanding. Heck, I managed to befriend her afterwards, which is certainly an improvement over the last time I was attacked."  
  
"The last time?" He questioned, then something seemed to click. "No... It can't be... You aren't the one who was attacked just outside the building the other month, are you?"  
  
"Ah, yeah. That was me. Although that was completely unrelated to this."  
  
Mr. Malintowski shook his head in exasperation. "I am so, so sorry. It's bad enough having one such incident of violence against my employees here, but two against the same person?"  
  
"It's not your fault. Guess I'm just unlucky?"  
  
"Well, back to the topic at-hand. Doctor Alphys wishes me to keep this incident quiet, as monsters are in a politically unstable position right now. However, as much as I support the full integration of monsters and would like to make that process as smooth as possible, I will not under any circumstances try to cover this up if you wish it to become public knowledge."  
  
"No, I'd prefer to keep it quiet." you told him.  
  
"Very well. Should there ever be a time where you feel the need to press charges or reveal what happened, let me know and I will release the information to you. For now, though, as per both your requests, I will respect your privacy on the matter."  
  
"T-thank you, Mr. Malintowski!" Alphys was relieved.  
  
"Yeah, thanks." But then again, so were you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the sleepy skeleton cuddles! I know I did. I guess it's a good thing I included the "slow burn" tag, because we're already 21 chapters in and Papyrus has yet to make it to 1st base. 'Course, it's hard to do that with all the stress and chaos fluttering about Reader. Things are slowly falling into place, and then we'll should see fluff cropping up more regularly once these two numb skulls actually begin acknowledging their feelings. (Perhaps with a little help from the crew of the good ship Friend Ship?)
> 
> Also, just to be clear, Undyne and Mettaton DON'T hate each other. They don't really like each other much, but most of their arguing is just posturing. They're the type that would have absolutely no issues working together, but would spend the entire time lobbying insults back and forth. 
> 
> Then, we have the president of MEET co, Malcolm Malintowski. It actually occurs to me that him allowing the incident in Alphys' lab to be swept under the rug could be considered pretty sketchy, though it wasn't meant that way. (Especially since, private camera or not, as the president of the company he'd totally be allowed to access the footage of the fight and be able to see just how serious it was.) However, I couldn't resist having that scene play out like it did, so here we are! His main ass-cover here is that he's protecting Reader's right to privacy, and he's fully willing to release the information should Reader ask him to. He's meant to be a kind-hearted and understanding sort of guy who just wants to make a positive difference in the world. Probably not the best attitude in the ruthless world of business, but not without its benefits. (Competitors would have a tough time poaching his employees since he's fair and well-liked, which means he's got some very talented people working for him.)


	22. Learning to Focus

Asgore sat with his head in his hands. Alphys and Undyne sat in their chairs awkwardly before him, cups of tea half-forgotten, having just explained last night's incident and everything that lead up to it, including Alphys, and now Undyne's, friendship with you. He could feel the building headache from the stress he was feeling.  
  
Monster rights, anti-monster sentiments, protests, and crimes, unintentional mishaps between humans and monsters, trying to maintain a strong front for the sake of his people despite never getting a day's rest... and now this fiasco. This one event could lead to disaster if his political opponents ever caught wind of it, and the only thing preventing that now was your desire to keep it quiet. Should you ever change your mind... He shuddered to think of the consequences.  
  
And then there was the admission of their friendship with you. He still worried about young Papyrus. The boy was so sweet and optimistic, and he feared what harm could come to him if you had ill intent. Alphys and Undyne, however, were a surprise. Alphys was an intelligent and kind young lady, but so terribly shy. Yet, she had taken the chance to extend her hand to you in friendship, and now was swearing by your kind nature. And Undyne... She was brash, but generally wise in her judgments, and although her friendship was still new, she expressed an unshakable faith in Papyrus and Alphys' assessment of you.  
  
Deep within him, buried beneath the centuries of hurt and betrayal, a tiny voice began to question him:  
  
_"What if she truly is like they say she is? What if she truly is the kind and caring person from your painfully fond memories? What if everything you've thought about her since the barrier is mistaken? What if you've been wrong all this time?"_  
  
But just as quickly, his doubts rose to counter:  
  
_"But, what if you're **not** mistaken? What if you let your guard down and she hurts you and your people again? Is she a new person, or the same one in a new form? Why did she ever betray you to begin with? Is it worth the risk?"_  
  
Asgore was conflicted. The compassionate part of his soul cried out to grant his forgiveness, but he'd spent so long vilifying you in his mind, it was difficult to justify it. Why **had** you joined the other humans in the war and created the barrier? He'd thought, at the very least, you would have remained neutral in the conflict. Yet, you hadn't. He thought of your encounter with Gerson and how his old friend had told him that even you seemed startled at the realization that your excuse did not hold up. Did you even know why you'd done it? Alphys had reported before that you didn't seem to retain all your memories. Would he ever understand?  
  
Asgore's thoughts were interrupted as Undyne cleared her throat to get his attention. It seemed he'd been silently brooding for an uncomfortably long time. He made a decision.  
  
"Ahem. This situation is very worrisome. I'm sure you are fully aware of just what kind of danger this places us all in." Undyne cringed over the fact that her impulsiveness had caused such trouble. "Undyne, as much as it pains me to do so, I'm afraid I cannot let your actions go without discipline."  
  
Undyne solemnly nodded her acceptance. "Yes, sir."  
  
"I am placing you on three weeks suspension as of now. I will be placing RG02 in charge as temporary Captain of the Royal Guard, and you will be in charge of directly overseeing the training of the rest of the guard in the meantime. Is that understood?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"And, as for you, Doctor Alphys, I am disappointed that you kept something as important as your interactions with the mage a secret from me." Alphys looked at the floor, clearly upset at herself for failing Asgore, "I do not wish for you to feel that you cannot speak to me about such things, and want you to know that I do not judge you for reaching out to her."  
  
"Y-you don't?" Alphys glanced up at Asgore.  
  
"No. I may not entirely approve, but you are both adults and capable of making your own decisions." Asgore nodded in solemn acceptance. "However, as your King I request that you no longer hide such important information from me. Know that I will never judge you for your choice in friends, I simply want to ensure that you remain safe."  
  
"O-of course."  
  
"That said, I do believe there is some benefit to this situation. As the mage's friends, it will be easier to keep an eye on her, and even guide her should she start to stray. Do you think you can handle that?"  
  
"Yes, sir." Both Undyne and Alphys agreed.  
  
"Very good. Thank you for your report. Now, if you'll excuse me, there is still much work to be done."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
'I ready soon. You have tea and i-n-c-e-n-s-e?' you signed awkwardly to Papyrus, spelling out incense as you had no idea how to sign for that.  
  
'THE TEA IS ALMOST READY, AND I HAVE THE INCENSE RIGHT HERE.' Papyrus carefully signed back.  
  
After you'd befriended Alphys, Papyrus had been convinced that it was only a matter of time before the others came around as well, and that meant that it was only a matter of time before you got to see Frisk again. At his prompting, you'd begun to study sign language in your free time in hopes of better communicating with them. With the addition of Undyne (and apparently Mettaton?) to your friend roster last week, Papyrus had ramped up your lessons and insisted on immersing you in it whenever possible to help cement what you were learning. Honestly, you weren't very good at it, but you could get across basic concepts and knew the alphabet well enough to spell what you didn't know.  
  
Right now, the two of you were preparing the meditation technique Marge had described to see if you could intentionally trigger memories. The first step was to establish a comfortable environment. You'd gathered up pillows, cushions, and blankets to make a comfortable nest to rest in. Marge recommended a place of silence, but also claimed that calming music or sounds worked as well, especially if meditating somewhere such as within a city. Next, was the tea. Chamomile was recommended, but anything to help the mind and body relax was fine. Finally, there was the incense. Marge claimed that the type of incense was irrelevant, so long as you found the scent calming, and not overwhelming. It had taken a bit of experimenting to find one you liked, and decide where to place it so you weren't distracted by the smoke. Once all that was done, you simply placed a blindfold over your eyes, settled down, and allowed your mind to empty. Apparently, with each of your senses in a relaxed state, and allowing your mind to go blank, the sensations of times past would filter in to fill the void. She warned that this process could take some practice, and that powerful or moving memories were among the most common. There were more instructions on how to better focus the memories you received, but she recommended becoming accustomed to the basic meditation technique first.  
  
'WHAT'S WITH THE BUCKET?' Papyrus signed, pointing to the bucket set in front of you when you signed your confusion at the last word.  
  
'Book say need.' you signed back.  
  
'WHY?'  
  
'I don't know.' you shrugged. It had been a tacked-on note scribbled in the margin.  
  
Papyrus handed you a cup of tea, and then lit the incense on the table nearby before settling down himself. You'd already started playing a 'Sounds of Nature' CD, and set about drinking your tea as the smell of the incense began to waft around you. Once you'd finished, you set the cup aside and pulled the blindfold down over your eyes.  
  
You tried to let your mind go blank, but it was easier said than done. Every minor stimulus seemed magnified ten-fold and determined to wrest away your focus. The sound of Cleo's bell jingling as she scurried into the kitchen, the way the blankets brushed against you as Papyrus shifted, the stomping of feet down the stairs.  
  
After several hours of nothing happening, you sighed in frustration, and extreme boredom.  
  
"Clearly, this isn't working." you grouched.  
  
"YOU SHOULDN'T GIVE UP. THE JOURNAL SAID IT TOOK PRACTICE, DIDN'T IT?"  
  
"Yes, but we've been at this for HOURS." you grumbled.  
  
You reached up to remove the blindfold when bony fingers caught hold of your hand.  
  
"P-Papyrus??" you questioned. When had he taken off his gloves?  
  
You heard Papyrus shift in front of you, and felt him take each of your hands in his own. You tried to fight the blush that was undoubtedly making its way onto your face.  
  
"UNDYNE ONCE TAUGHT ME A TECHNIQUE FOR USING MAGIC TO SOOTHE SORE AND TENSE MUSCLES AFTER PUSHING HERSELF TOO HARD. IF YOU'RE HAVING TROUBLE RELAXING, MAYBE THIS WOULD HELP?" Papyrus waited for your response.  
  
"U-um, sure. It's worth a try, I guess?"  
  
"OKAY. TRY TO RELAX."  
  
You took a deep breath and released it as Papyrus' thumbs began gently massaging the palms of your hands. Not long after, you felt an odd sensation emanating from his hands and slowly moving up your arms. It was warm and almost made you tremble with anticipation, but each muscle that it came across inevitably relaxed. The warmth spread to your shoulders, and you could actually feel it working its way into the scar where Undyne's spear had hit you. It tingled, and then you could feel the tension in the skin and muscles give way. You hadn't even realized how tense your shoulder was! The sensation continued to spread, and you let out a shuddering breath as it worked its way down your spine and up your neck. It worked its way into your legs, which were stiff from sitting so long and eased the tension there. Your breaths became long and deep as the warmth eased into your head and chest, your mind fading to blank at the heady sensation.  
  
The warmth reached something within your chest and there was a strange fluttery sensation like a frightened bird within a cage. Your brow furrowed at this, but the warmth was gentle and persistent. Eventually, the fluttering calmed and a different warmth began to emanate from it. You felt the world melt away around you:  
  
\------------------------------  
  
_"Priestess! Priestess! Kiba is hurt!"  
  
You looked up from your meditation at the young boy who'd just burst into the room. He was one of the children from the village just down the road.  
  
"What happened?" you asked as you stood and followed the boy.  
  
"We were out practicing our bows in the training ground when a boar attacked us! Kiba chased it off, but not before it gored him!"  
  
Ah, yes. There was a clearing nearby where the local boys liked to play and practice their swordsmanship and bow skills. It was closer to the shrine here than the village, which would explain why they'd come to you for help.  
  
"Was anyone else hurt?" you asked, grabbing your first aid supplies before exiting the door.  
  
"No. Kiba was on that boar before we could even react!"  
  
You didn't have to go far, as the other children had carried Kiba to your shrine. You looked down upon the injured Akita dog. He was not using his left foreleg as he should, and upon closer examination you could see why. There was a gash on his leg where the boar's tusk had caught him, and blood was seeping out.  
  
"Can you help him?" the boy asked anxiously, the other children waiting with bated breath as well.  
  
"It does not look like it's too deep. I will do what I can, but only time will tell if it heals properly. Until then, make sure he eats and drinks properly and gets plenty of rest. Can you do that?"  
  
"Y-yes!" The boy nodded his understanding.  
  
You carefully treated the dog's wound, and once it was bandaged, bid the children farewell.  
  
"I will pray to the gods for Kiba's swift recovery after his brave act." you nodded to the children.  
  
"Thank you, priestess!"  
  
You watched the children carefully carry the dog down the road towards the village._  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You inhaled sharply as the memory ended. That life was certainly new.  
  
"_____, DID YOU HAVE A MEMORY?"  
  
"Y-yes." You took a moment to collect yourself. "Apparently I was a priestess in Japan at some point? Some local children brought their injured dog to me for help."  
  
"WOWIE! SO THE MEDITATION WORKED?!"  
  
"It seems so, thanks to you."  
  
"NYEH?! I-I DIDN'T REALLY DO ANYTHING..."  
  
"Of course you did! You helped me relax, and that seems to be what I needed to trigger it." You smiled in what you assumed was his direction. It occurred to you that it was kind of weird to be having a conversation with someone while wearing a blindfold. "And the memory was nice. After all the ones from the war I've gotten, I was beginning to wonder if anything good ever happened in any of my past lives."  
  
"I'M SURE THERE'S PLENTY MORE BESIDES THAT! DID YOU WANT TO TRY TRIGGERING ANOTHER ONE AND SEE?"  
  
"Sure, why not?"  
  
You settled yourself, took a deep breath, and allowed yourself to relax. It took another 15 minutes or so, but this time the memory came easier:  
  
\------------------------------  
  
_"Do not let her free her hands! It is how she casts her magic!"  
  
You cried out in pain as the bindings around your wrists were tightened. You were shoved roughly onto a platform and against a wooden pillar, where you were further bound. Piles of wood had already been stacked under and against it.  
  
"Please... Please, no! I haven't done anything!" you begged, but your pleas fell on deaf ears.  
  
Once you were secured, your captors backed off and readied the torches.  
  
"For your crimes of witchcraft, you are hereby sentenced to death by burning. May God have mercy on your soul." Their leader spoke to you, then leaned forward to set his torch to the pile of wood, the others following suit.  
  
"No! Stop! Don't!"  
  
It was too late. The wood was alight. You struggled against your bindings, but it was too much. You could do nothing but watch as the creeping flames drew closer. You choked on the smoke, and shortly afterwards began to scream. The flames had reached your legs, and your bindings kept you from moving away. Intense heat licked up your clothes as they caught fire. You could feel your skin burning and melting, blisters forming and popping, hissing as your blood began to escape only to be boiled and resealed by the encroaching flames. The bindings around your ankles burned away, but it didn't matter. Your legs were already charring, and the flames grew ever higher. You could barely register your own screams anymore, unable to focus on anything but the slow, agonizing pain creeping up your body. The flames crawled up your clothes, burning your body as they went. Boiling, blistering, bleeding, but not killing you. Not yet. Smoke choked your lungs and stung your eyes, and the smell of your own burning flesh hung heavy about you. Your hair caught alight and the fire crept up to your head, searing your scalp.  
  
Suddenly, the bindings holding you to the stake gave way to the flame's advance and your body collapsed into the raging fire below. You could feel your blood boiling in your veins before they popped and escaped. Your mind screamed for escape from the fire, but you were too far gone._  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You jerked forward, your hands landing on the bucket between you and Papyrus and proceeded to vomit. He was at your side in a second, helping hold you up and rubbing your back as you trembled violently.  
  
Your mind was reeling from the remembered sensations. You'd actually felt what it was like to be burned alive, and the horror of it clung to the forefront of your mind like an unforgettable nightmare. You continued to tremble and dry heave into the bucket for a while before the memory faded enough for you to regain control.  
  
"WHAT WAS THAT? WHAT HAPPENED?" Papyrus asked in concern once you finally seemed to calm down.  
  
"I-" you rasped, but had to stop when you started to dry-heave again. It was another few minutes before you dared try again. "I-I just remembered being e-executed..." You didn't dare describe how. Not only did you not want to expose Papyrus to that, but just thinking on what you'd just experienced made you want to vomit again.  
  
"NYEH?! WHY WOULD YOU BE EXECUTED?"  
  
"... B-because I was accused of witchcraft..."  
  
"WITCHCRAFT?"  
  
"Y-yes... Essentially, my crime was having m-magic..."  
  
"HOW COULD HAVING MAGIC BE A CRIME??" Papyrus did not understand this at all.  
  
"H-having magic may be n-normal for monsters, but it's n-not normal for h-humans. I-it's rare, and n-not really u-understood. H-humans, historically, f-fear what they d-don't understand, and h-have a tendency to lash out at t-those who are different..." you tried to explain.  
  
"I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND..." Papyrus admitted. It was such a foreign way of thinking, he just couldn't wrap his mind around it.  
  
"L-long story short, h-humans are terrible and h-hate anything that's d-different..."  
  
"...NOT ALL HUMANS ARE TERRIBLE. YOU AND FRISK ARE NOT."  
  
You smiled shakily at that, still trembling slightly from your experience.  
  
"W-well..." you started, "A-at least now w-we know what the b-bucket's for..." you gave a strained laugh.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
It was several days before you dared try the meditation technique again. Papyrus questioned if you should after the last time had shaken you so badly, but you were almost morbidly curious. The day proved fruitful as the memories gradually came easier to you. You experienced the pain and fear of asphyxiation as you were hanged, but other than that the memories weren't bad. You discovered memories from various lives around the world.  
  
This experience boosted your confidence, and you tried again the next day. Those attempts weren't quite so lucky. Your first memory involved being disemboweled and left to die of blood loss and shock. It took you hours to recover from experiencing that one, but you continued despite Papyrus' concerns. The rest of the day's memories weren't too bad, the worst being a memory of painfully giving birth.  
  
You continued practicing the meditation for the next two weeks. It was a mixed bag, really. It was odd and kind of exhilarating to experience various cultures from the perspective of someone who'd lived them. However, violent deaths seemed to be among the most powerful memories, and as Marge had warned, that made them generally more common. You'd been drowned, stoned to death, beheaded, quartered, starved, hunted by an angry mob, Blinked into solid matter in an attempt to **escape** an angry mob... You had a great many past lives, not all bad, but a decent chunk of them seemed to veer towards being an encyclopedia of ways to be executed. And each time you triggered one of those memories, you got to feel every agonizing second of your death. It was... terrifying. Comparing them to the few words you could make out in Marge's illegible passages made it clear just why her writing was so shaky there. You opted to provide minimal details in your own typed up transcription, including a pretty hefty warning about the fact that you were not viewing these memories, but experiencing them, that way if you re-hid Marge's notes with your own for some future incarnation, they wouldn't go into it as blindly as you had.  
  
You honestly probably would have stopped if not for Papyrus. He'd insisted on being there whenever you tried to meditate, just in case. And when a memory of death was triggered, he was right there by your side, using his magic to soothe you and distracting you from your latest experience the best he could.  
  
Finally, you felt ready to try using a focus for the meditation. According to Marge, you could focus in on memories from certain lives if you had access to a trigger for that life. A trigger was anything that was so specific to that life that it could potentially trigger memories without the meditation, such as visiting an old home, handling an object significant to that life, or any other such thing. If you included such a trigger in your mediation either by gazing at it, touching it, smelling it, or using whatever sense worked best with it, you could direct the meditation towards memories of that life.  
  
It had been simple enough to find a trigger. The lockbox and Marge's notes seemed like a good choice. You chose to keep the blindfold off so you could focus your gaze on them as you let your mind go blank.  
  
It worked. You viewed several memories, each of them from Marge. Besides the nauseating sight of puss, vomit, and blood that seemed to be common as Marge treated her patients, there was nothing inherently bad about the memories, although Papyrus had been concerned when you'd come out of one memory panting and groaning in what he assumed was remembered pain. You sure as hell weren't going to tell him that you'd just experienced one of Marge's flings with a drunken sailor on shore leave, nor were you going to inform him that the reason you decided to stop there was because that memory had indicated that this was not an uncommon occurrence for dear Marge. For such a seemingly straitlaced nurse, Marge sure liked to let loose during her time off...  
  
You had then changed your trigger. Of course, besides Marge, the only life you knew a trigger for was during the war. Asgore had triggered the flood of memories for that life. It occurred to you that you weren't even sure what to call that incarnation of yourself, as most of the memories you had were of battles where you were referred to as 'mage', 'heathen', 'witch', or similar dehumanizing names. Your memories of before the war itself weren't as common, and you couldn't recall one where someone had called out to you by name. Even the few with Asgore seemed to omit it, though that might be a result of those memories being a little sparse. Perhaps if you used Asgore as a trigger, you could learn more about yourself in that life?  
  
You settled on a video of one of Asgore's speeches with him in his full royal regalia. There were some differences in his appearance, but his voice remained the same. You hoped that this would be enough and that you wouldn't need to see him in person for the trigger to be potent enough, because if that was the case, you were out of luck. Papyrus settled by your side, and you hit play on the video, allowing the image of Asgore and the sound of his voice flow into your mind as you otherwise let the world fall out of focus:  
  
\------------------------------  
  
_Stupid. You were so stupid. How could you have not realized that the rock had been loose? It had given way beneath you and you'd fallen into the river, it's current swift and its banks swollen from the melted snow the unseasonably warm weather had produced. Yet, despite the unusual warmth for this time of year, that did not mean that it was warm enough for a dip in the river, and so you found yourself shivering terribly as you finally managed to pull yourself from the currents some ways downstream, deeper in the forest. And for what? A water pail that had slipped from your fingers when you underestimated the current and snagged on a rock a couple feet away from the bank? Now you had to follow the river back upstream and pray you had not been swept so far away that you froze to death on the trip back.  
  
You got to your feet. Or rather, you tried. You cried out as pain bloomed in your ankle when you tried to put weight on it. You examined it, and although it did not appear to be broken, it was definitely swollen. Well, the chance of you freezing to death had now become a certainty. Tears welled in your eyes at the pain in your ankle and fear of your impending death.  
  
"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" you chastised yourself as the tears began to flow down your cheeks. You did the only thing you could do. You cried for help, praying with all your might that someone lived nearby and would hear you. "Help! Someone, please help me!"  
  
You continued to call for help for several minutes, your cry growing more desperate and shaky as the cold settled in. You'd nearly given up hope when, between shuddering breaths, you heard the sound of footsteps and voices.  
  
"P-please! O-over here! H-help me!" you cried out with renewed vigor.  
  
The footsteps grew closer, and then your hope of rescue was shattered as two monsters emerged from the forest a short ways downstream. Your eyes widened in fear. You'd been warned of monsters living in distant parts of the woods, but never had you seen one. Before you stood a behemoth with sharp fangs, massive horns curling from the top of his head, and pristine white fur covering him from head to toe, disrupted only by the golden color of his hair and beard. He was dressed in shining armor and soft-looking robes. Beside him stood a much shorter tortoise-like monster. He, too, was dressed in armor and fine clothes.  
  
The larger monster, upon spotting you shivering on the ground, took a step towards you. You desperately tried to scramble to your feet so you could run, and almost made it as the cold numbed your injury. Almost. After only one step the pain of bearing your weight was too much and you collapsed once again into the melting snow.  
  
"Do not be afraid, human. We mean you no harm..." the behemoth spoke in a deep baritone voice, making his way closer to you cautiously in an attempt not to spook you further.  
  
"Sire! It's a human! We shouldn't interfere!" the tortoise spoke up.  
  
"Her species matters not, Gerson. She is clearly injured and must be freezing in this weather with such sodden clothes. It would be wrong to leave her here like this." The behemoth responded.  
  
He knelt once he got close to you and carefully extended a clawed hand, palm upwards towards you.  
  
"My name is Asgore Dreemurr, and this is my retainer, Gerson. Will you allow us to help you?" He waited for your response.  
  
You'd grown up on tales of fearsome monsters that hunted and devoured errant children and travelers that strayed too far from the known paths. You were no longer sure how much of your quivering was from the cold, and how much was from fear. His offer of help might be a trick. If you trusted this monster, he might kill and eat you like you'd been told. However, if you refused his help, your death was certain. Their presence was proof enough that you'd been swept too far from human civilization for your cries to be heard.  
  
You looked up at his gentle gaze. What did you have to lose?  
  
You extended a shaking hand and placed it within his large palm. His fingers curled gently around yours and the difference in warmth between the two of you was almost painful. You tensed as he used his other arm to gently scoop you up and cradle you to his chest as he stood, but soon found yourself clinging to him desperately for warmth.  
  
You did not pay much attention to where he took you, but the trip did not take long before you entered a clearing. He strode over to a wooden cabin perched on the edge of it and pushed his way inside. The building surprised you by just how... human, it appeared. There were a pair of beds stuffed with straw, dressers and shelves with knick-knacks, a fire pit, a table with chairs, and even books! You were placed down on a chair near the unlit fire.  
  
"Gerson, please get the human something dry whilst I rekindle the fire."  
  
"Of course, sire."  
  
The tortoise began rifling through one of the dressers, but what really drew your attention was what the other monster was doing. He knelt by the fire pit and held out his hand. An instant later, fire burst to life, hovering above his upturned palm. Your eyes widened at the display, and he lightly tossed it into the fire pit, rekindling it in an instant. You watched the fire warily. This was magic fire. Magic was the devil's tool. Or so you'd been taught. Your fear of this monster spiked once again, but the longer you stared into the dancing flames, the less you feared and the more you felt... curious. You huddled as close to the warmth as you dared, half-remembering the day several years ago when you, in the pain and frustration of your first sign of womanhood, had felt a warmth surge through your chest, and then been startled as a shimmering light appeared and deflected a rock that had come careening down the hillside towards your mother. You knew the fate of those who practiced witchcraft, and you'd grown fearful. Thankfully, no one had actually seen the display, and from that day forward you'd been careful to suppress that power. You felt that familiar warmth within your chest and carefully tamped it back down.  
  
You tensed as the tortoise monster approached you.  
  
"Unfortunately, none of our clothes will fit you. We've got these extra blankets you can use, human, but you may want to remove your wet clothes first so you don't die anyway."  
  
He placed the blankets down on the table next to you and exchanged a wry look with his lord, who was himself looking embarrassed and sheepish.  
  
"We... we will turn away so that you may have some privacy, human." He shyly avoided your eyes, then moved over to the tortoise as they both turned away.  
  
You began to strip, which was fairly difficult with shaking, numb hands, but you succeeded. After a bit more maneuvering you'd successfully wrapped the blanket around your damp form. It was so soft, dry, and warm. You felt yourself sigh in contentment as you settled back down into the chair. A few moments passed before the monster spoke up again.  
  
"May... May we turn around now?" he spoke uncertainly.  
  
You realized they were waiting for you to let them know you were covered, and spoke in a shaking voice, "Y-yes..."  
  
The two monsters turned around, and the tortoise immediately gathered your sopping wet garments and hung them on a rack near the fire to dry.  
  
"Let me get you some tea to help warm you up." The larger monster dug out a kettle and began to heat some water. Soon enough, you'd managed to snake an arm out from the blanket to cradle the warm cup of tea, sipping at it and allowing its heat to warm you from within.  
  
"So, if you don't mind me asking, how did you come to be by the river in such a state?" The larger monster asked after sipping his own cup of tea.  
  
You hesitated for a moment, but saw no reason to lie to these monsters who'd saved you from a terrible fate.  
  
"I... I was out fetching water from the river, but did not expect the current to be so strong and fell in trying to retrieve my pail. I... I'm not sure how far down river I've come, but after I finally managed to escape the river, I realized I'd hurt my ankle in the fall and could not walk."  
  
"Wa ha ha! Not the best day for a swim, is it?" The tortoise chortled, ignoring the stern look from his lord.  
  
"It is lucky that you washed ashore so close to this glade, and that we were actually here at the time. I shudder to think what would have become of you had that not been the case." he rumbled.  
  
"Thank you for helping me."  
  
The large monster, Asgore you finally reminded yourself, gave you a warm and gentle smile. "Think nothing of it, Miss..." a look of confusion crossed his face.  
  
The tortoise, Gerson, snorted in amusement. "Just now realizing our guest hasn't yet introduced herself, sire?"  
  
"I-I, well, gee. It had slipped my mind in my haste to see to her safety." Asgore turned to you and hesitated. "Will you tell me your name? I... If you are not comfortable doing so, however, I fully understand."  
  
The two monsters looked at you to see how you'd respond. You hesitated briefly, but immediately scolded yourself for it. They had been nothing but kind to you, and nothing about their actions struck you as being off or hinted at some ulterior motive. The least you could do was tell them your name.  
  
"Moira. My name is Moira."  
  
"Moira? Hrm... After the Greek deities of fate?" You nodded in affirmation to Asgore's question. He smiled. "Then perhaps our meeting was destined."  
  
You smiled back. "Perhaps it was."_  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Papyrus was watching over you as the memory faded. He had a curious, somewhat worried look on his face.  
  
"SO, WHAT DID YOU SEE?"  
  
You took a breath. "I saw the first time Moira, my incarnation from the war, met Asgore and Gerson. They... They saved her from freezing to death." You felt a sadness over the fact that their friendship would blossom, only to end in betrayal and ruin. If that had truly been destiny, than the Fates were cruel, indeed.  
  
Papyrus picked up easily on your melancholy and wrapped you in a comforting hug. You hugged him back, allowing the warmth of his compassion to soothe your aching soul. After a bit, you pulled away and prepared yourself to trigger another memory. Papyrus placed his hand on your shoulder, drawing your attention to his worried face.  
  
"WHY DO YOU KEEP DOING THIS WHEN SO MANY OF THE MEMORIES UPSET YOU? I DON'T UNDERSTAND..."  
  
Papyrus had asked you this same question several times before. Heck, you'd asked yourself the same thing. But, every time you considered stopping, you felt an ache in your heart. Thinking on that last memory, of each of your memories with Asgore, you think you finally understood.  
  
"I think... I think I need closure, Papy... My past self, Moira, was close friends with Asgore once. I... I don't think she was a bad person, but something happened that caused her to side against monsters, and I need to know what that was. Asgore's path and my own have crossed again in this lifetime, and maybe even in future lifetimes, and I don't want to be ruled by the fear and confusion of what happened in the past. I want to be able to move on."  
  
"I SEE..." Papyrus' hand squeezed your shoulder, and he leveled an earnest, sympathetic gaze upon you. "_____... KNOW THAT WHATEVER THE ANSWER IS, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR REASONS WERE, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL ALWAYS REMAIN YOUR FRIEND. AND AS I AM THE GREATEST OF FRIENDS, I WILL HELP YOU FACE AND OVERCOME WHATEVER YOU LEARN. JUST KNOW THAT I AM ALWAYS HERE FOR YOU."  
  
You felt tears prick the corners of your eyes at Papyrus' declaration. "Thanks, Paps... You have no idea how much that means to me."  
  
Papyrus smiled softly at you before removing his hand from your shoulder so you could continue. No matter what happened, no matter what secrets you learned, you could always count on the support of Papyrus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah... Remember all those illegible passages from Marge that I mentioned? That wasn't arthritis causing her to shake while writing them. Reliving your own gruesome deaths is not for the faint of heart. 
> 
> We also finally learn a little bit about Moira, Reader's incarnation from the war against monsters, and now that Reader can focus her memories on that specific lifetime, we're going to learn more about her, find out what makes her tick. The question is, what will we learn, and how will Reader cope with it? 
> 
> Looks like we'll finally be getting some answers very soon.


	23. Motivations

_"So, how was the wedding? Was it everything you dreamed of?" You asked Asgore as you enjoyed afternoon tea with him in the glade._  
  
_"It was truly the greatest day of my life! The weather was wonderful, the decorations extravagant, and we were joined by monsters from all over! But most beautiful of all was Tori in her lovely gown. We could have been married in a mud pit and I would feel no different, because she chose me." Asgore gushed._  
  
_Asgore, lost in his thoughts of Toriel, was oblivious to the exaggerated gagging of Gerson. You laughed at the tortoise. He'd long since made it clear that he wasn't fond of how romantic and gushy Asgore became at the mere mention of her. You'd asked him why he seemed to dislike Toriel so much, and he explained that he honestly didn't have a problem with her. In fact, he liked her, as she was intelligent, kind, and wise. What he didn't like was how the two of them turned into a saccharine puddle of goo around each other. You suspected he was also a bit jealous that his lord and best friend had found someone else to dote on._  
  
_"It sounds absolutely wonderful! I'm sorry I had to miss it, but the other villagers would have noticed if I was gone so long..." You were saddened by the fact that you weren't able to be there for your friend on such an important day as his wedding._  
  
_Asgore gave you a sympathetic look. "Do not fret, my friend. I understand that most humans do not view monsters fondly, and I would not wish for you to risk your own safety for me. Just having you here now is more than enough."_  
  
_"Yeah, kid. No point in ruffling feathers unnecessarily." Gerson agreed._  
  
_"Thank you. I just wish I could meet her. From the way you go on about her, she sounds like the most amazing person."_  
  
_"She is!" Asgore sighed happily. "Perhaps I shall bring her here? Then you could meet her without straying from your village for too long? Erm... once I clean the place up a bit. A proper lady such as Tori deserves a properly tidy place to stay." He blushed._  
  
_Gerson, once again, groaned in annoyance._  
  
_"Really? That would be splendid!" You were excited by the prospect. "Oh, but since you two are married, that would make her a Princess, wouldn't it? I have nothing proper to even wear!" You were so used to Asgore it often times slipped your mind that he was a Prince. You were just a simple village woman. You did not own any fancy clothes._  
  
_"Wa ha ha! I wouldn't worry about that. Toriel is as relaxed and accepting as they come. You could meet her wearing a potato sack, and she probably wouldn't bat an eye." Gerson grinned at you._  
  
_You sighed in relief. Finding something appropriate to meet a princess in, and then sneaking off on one of your 'walks' with it would have proved to be tricky._  
  
_"Ah, I almost forgot! It's not much, but I brought you a gift to congratulate you on your wedding!" You handed Asgore the basket you'd brought with you._  
  
_He opened up the basket and pulled out one of the warm buns that rested inside. It was a cinnamon bun glazed in honey that you'd baked this morning. Unlike the rest of the batch you'd handed out to avoid questions of what you were baking, this last batch was special. You had carefully pinched and molded the dough to give the final product little eyes, ears down the side of its 'head' and horns sticking up from the top. Asgore's eyes widened at the sight, and a broad smile formed on his face._  
  
_"Thank you! These are adorable, and they smell delicious!" he tentatively took a bite before humming in approval. "Mmm... I cannot wait to share these with Tori."_  
  
_"Hmph. Sure, go ahead and tease me, why don't ya?" Gerson half-heartedly grumped after inhaling the scent of the baked goods._  
  
_"Don't think I forgot you, Gerson." You smiled at him, and revealed a cloth neatly folded over another treat. This one was shaped like a tortoise, with a little head peaking out of a patterned shell._  
  
_"Well, hey now!" Gerson grinned and, after admiring the confection for a moment, took a bite. "This isn't half bad, kid! Maybe Asgore here should get married more often."_  
  
_You smiled at the compliment._  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You smiled at the fond memory. Although it had taken a few weeks, you finally seemed to have a handle on this meditation technique, and performing it with a trigger to focus the memories hadn't been much more complex. You now remembered training and laughing with Asgore and Gerson, walking through the forest on warm summer days, playing with the village children, even being courted by the blacksmith's son.  
  
You'd also gained more memories of life during the war. The adrenaline and fear associated with battle as you shielded human troops from attacks. Raiding abandoned villages for supplies as the unit you were assigned to pressed forward. You even remembered the celebration that occurred when word spread that the King and Queen of monsters had been slain, and that their son and his wife had taken up their mantle to try and regroup after their forces had scattered..  
  
But you still didn't understand how you'd gone from being dear friends with Asgore, to using your magic to aid humanity in the war against him.  
  
You pressed on.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
_It was growing late, and you were afraid that he may not show. Today was the day you were suppose to meet Toriel, but the excitement you felt for that was long forgotten. You paced anxiously around the glade._  
  
_The sound of footsteps reached your ears, and you looked up to see Asgore and Gerson entering the glade, a solemn look upon each of their faces._  
  
_"Asgore! Gerson! You're alright! I-I heard there was a battle between humans and monsters nearby! I was worried!" you ran over to them anxiously._  
  
_"We're fine, kid. I wish I could say the same for all the other monsters living in the area, though."_  
  
_"Moira..." Asgore began, giving you a sad look. "Tensions between humans and monsters have reached the breaking point. I am afraid that we are at war now."_  
  
_"I... I heard rumors... People have never had anything good to say about monsters, but now they're claiming that monsters can steal human souls and use them to become nigh-unstoppable beasts. It's thrown everyone into a frenzy." You hesitated to ask if this was true. All the fears that had been instilled in you had proven false with regards to Asgore and Gerson, but did that apply to all monsters?_  
  
_The unspoken question hung heavily in the air._  
  
_"It... it is theoretically possible..." Asgore spoke up. You stared at him in surprise and horror. "There exists a story... Long ago, before written history, a monster and a human fell in love. The woman's family, disapproving of their affection and believing it sinful, killed her and left her body for her monster lover to find. When he found her broken body, still warm, the monster had been anguished. In his anguish, he realized the woman's soul still lingered, and he clutched the last thread of his love to himself. He unwittingly brought her soul within himself, absorbing it. The addition of a human soul, whose power far eclipses that of a monster's, granted him incredible power, and in his grief and rage he exacted his vengeance on the humans who had robbed his love of her life with their hatred."_  
  
_"You should know that no monster has done it since. It's never even been attempted. Heck, I thought for sure that that story had been forgotten by humans. I wonder why it's coming up now?" Gerson added._  
  
_There was an uneasy silence among the three of you before Asgore spoke again._  
  
_"Moira, it is dangerous for you to be here. If we were discovered, all of our lives would be in danger." He hesitated a moment. "I think it is best if you do not return until after things have settled down."_  
  
_"I... agree." you nodded sadly. "But... you will return here once things settle down, won't you?"_  
  
_Asgore gave you a sad smile. "Of course. We will meet again. You have my word. Until that time, farewell, my friend."_  
  
_Asgore turned and began to walk back into the forest. Gerson approached you and squeezed your shoulder gently. "Take care of yourself, kid." Then he turned and followed his lord._  
  
_You waited until they were out of sight before turning and returning home yourself. Once back in your village, you put out the lights and crawled into bed. You silently prayed that your friends remained safe._  
  
_...._  
  
_It felt like you'd dozed off for just a moment when you felt hands grabbing you and dragging you, screaming from your bed. You were so disoriented and startled you lashed out at your attacker with your tightly coiled magic, knocking him into the nearby dresser._  
  
_"She's a witch, too?! Bind her hands! She can't cast her foul magics if you bind her hands!" There was cursing as someone else grabbed your hands and wrenched your arms behind your back._  
  
_"I knew there was something wrong with you." a familiar voice, that of the blacksmith's son, spoke up. "Those long walks you took each week... You've been meeting with those monsters for a while now, haven't you? I suppose the fact that you're a witch shouldn't surprise me."_  
  
_"L-let me go!" you cried, trembling._  
  
_"Not a chance, witch! The King's army will be happy to house you within one of their prisons before you are executed. Now, move it!"_  
  
_You were dragged, sobbing from your home._  
  
\------------------------------  
  
This was important. You could feel yourself getting closer to the truth with each memory. You pushed yourself to continue:  
  
\------------------------------  
  
_You sobbed into the darkness of your cell. You were weary, hungry, and frightened. You were kept separated from other prisoners, and left bound in your cell. The food and water they did provide was difficult to consume with your arms and legs bound, and so you were covered in cold porridge from your attempts to eat, and urine and feces as you were unable to properly tend to your needs. You were unsure of the passage of time. Here, there was no sunlight, only darkness. You were frightened and alone, with only your own sobs to break up the deafening silence._  
  
_And then... there were the nightmares. Sometime after being thrown in here, as the encompassing nothingness began to get to you, you'd begun having horrible nightmares. In these nightmares you were hunted. Executed. Murdered. And they felt so real you were certain you were dead until you woke up. You began trying to avoid sleep, but it did not help. The nightmares plagued you even in your wakefulness._  
  
_Eventually, you began to wonder if they were nightmares at all. You recalled training with Asgore, and how he'd shown you your soul. He had asked you how you'd gained the scars that littered its surface, and you had had no idea. He claimed that traumatic events could damage the soul, but you could not recall many events in your life that you would have described as traumatic. Certainly not enough to justify the number of tiny scars. What if this was not the first life you had lived? You had heard of the concept of souls being reborn in new bodies. Was that why those nightmares seemed so real? Were you reliving deaths your soul had already experienced? Was that what was going to happen to you now? The terror pierced you right to your core._  
  
_The silence was broken by the sound of a door opening and footsteps approaching. You twisted to see light approaching, and squinted painfully, temporarily blinded by the torch as several figures approached your cell. One of the men rapped unnecessarily on your cell's bars to get your attention. Once your eyes adjusted, you were surprised to see that the older man leading the group was dressed in fine robes, completely at odds with your own state._  
  
_"I'd tell you to kneel before your King, witch, if I thought you were capable of it." One of the men sneered._  
  
_Your eyes widened in realization. This was the King?_  
  
_"I am told you have demonstrated magical abilities. What spells are you able to do, mage?" The King demanded gruffly._  
  
_Words caught in your throat. One did not simply ignore a question from the King, but answering would be admitting you could use magic, which was punished by death._  
  
_"ANSWER WHEN THE KING ASKS YOU A QUESTION!" one of the men barked at you, but was then silenced when the King held up a hand._  
  
_"You are already facing death, mage. However, should your abilities prove useful, you may earn a pardon and your freedom." The King explained._  
  
_Pardon? Freedom? A chance to avoid the terrors of your nightmares?_  
  
_"I-" you coughed, your voice dry and raspy. "I can create barriers. Shields. I... I can also use it to knock back attackers..."_  
  
_The King considered this. "Can you use these abilities to shield others?"_  
  
_"Yes..."_  
  
_"From magical attacks?"_  
  
_"Yes..."_  
  
_The King seemed surprised by your lack of hesitation. "You are certain?"_  
  
_"Sire, one of her crimes is treason. She was found interacting with monsters."_  
  
_"Hrm... The ability to shield against magical attacks could prove useful, but there is the problem of your association with monsters..." The King considered this for a bit. "Mage. Swear your fealty and magic to me and I will grant your pardon and freedom at the end of this war, but know this: should you ever go back on your oath, even for a moment, you will be charged with high treason, and executed appropriately."_  
  
_There was silence as they waited for your response. You felt numb. Aid the King in his war against monsters? But, they hadn't done anything... The man at the King's side looked about ready to yell at you again when the King spoke up._  
  
_"I see you need time to consider the proposal. I will give you until tomorrow. If you wish to swear your loyalty to me, than you may. If not, you will be executed for your current crimes. Consider closely where your loyalties lie," he warned._  
  
_The entourage then filed out, leaving you once again to the darkness and nightmares._  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You panted heavily as the memory faded. Remembering your deaths second-hand through a different memory was an odd experience. In a way, now that you were back in the present, it felt less intense. In the memory, though, you had flitted from horrible memory to horrible memory like some unending nightmare. Papyrus waited solemnly as you explained what you'd seen.  
  
"SO... YOU THINK MOIRA STARTED SEEING MEMORIES OF THE TIMES SHE DIED IN PAST LIVES?" Papyrus asked.  
  
"Yes. I'm positive she did. Some of those memories were ones I've already seen myself... I... I think the near sensory deprivation of the cell may have caused it. I mean, a lot of what the meditation does is block out or at least relax the senses, but what I don't understand is why her memories were deaths one right after another. I mean, I've... I've seen quite a few deaths... But not every memory is like that. Far from it, actually, even without having a trigger to focus on a single life."  
  
Papyrus considered this for a while.  
  
"MAGIC HAS GREAT TIES TO EMOTIONS AND THE SOUL, AND IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR THE MAGIC OF YOUNG MONSTERS TO REACT TO POWERFUL EMOTIONS. MAYBE THE MAGIC SHE WAS USING TO VIEW THE MEMORIES WAS BEING AFFECTED BY HER FEAR?"  
  
"That... kind of makes sense. Like having nightmares when you fall asleep after watching a scary movie, only when she awoke from her nightmares, reality was no comfort as she was scared, alone, and waiting to be executed. Literally her nightmares come true." You shuddered briefly at the idea of waking up from a nightmare only to realize that it was about to become your reality.  
  
Your mind turned to thoughts of a half-remembered nightmare you'd had before moving to Ebott City. One where you'd been locked in a dark cell, and threatened with death if you did not cooperate. You vaguely recalled leaning towards agreeing to the terms. Had that actually been a memory?  
  
"I think... I think she agreed to the King's terms simply because she was afraid to die. Even knowing that she would be born again, she chose herself over her friends. I... I just can't wrap my mind around why she'd do that." You were conflicted. The idea of helping people hurt Papyrus, Alphys, Undyne, or any of your friends was absolutely abominable to you, but on the other hand, you had felt Moira's unbridled fear...  
  
Papyrus' face lit up as a thought occurred to him. "NYEH! YOUR SOUL IS GREEN, RIGHT?"  
  
You were a bit confused by the sudden change in topic. "Yes?"  
  
"MARGE'S NOTES SAID GREEN WAS THE COLOR OF KINDNESS."  
  
"Yeah, but what Moira did wasn't kind. It was pretty cruel and selfish, especially given that she realized she could be reborn before she made her decision."  
  
Papyrus shook his head, smiling as if he'd solved some grand puzzle. "NYEH HEH HEH! IT'S NOT ABOUT WHAT YOUR SOUL IS, BUT WHAT YOUR SOUL ISN'T."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"YOUR SOUL IS PRIMARILY KIND. HOWEVER, THAT MEANS IT'S NOT AS ADEPT IN THE OTHER TRAITS: BRAVERY, PERSERVERANCE, INTEGRITY, DETERMINATION... WHERE ONE OF THOSE TYPES OF SOULS MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ENDURE MOIRA'S SITUATION, A KIND SOUL DOES NOT COMPARE TO THEIR NATURAL STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE! ... NOT THAT A KIND SOUL IS WEAKER, REALLY." Papyrus' eyes shifted as he realized that he'd basically called you weak-willed. "THOSE SOULS WOULD NOT COMPARE TO A KIND SOUL IN OTHER SITUATIONS, SUCH AS SOCIAL INTERACTIONS LIKE MAKING FRIENDS, FORGIVING OTHERS, AND SEEING PAST THE TERRIBLE THINGS THEY'D BEEN TOLD, TO FIND THE GOOD IN PEOPLE. IF IT WERE NOT FOR MOIRA'S KIND SOUL, SHE MAY NEVER HAVE BEFRIENDED THE KING IN THE FIRST PLACE!"  
  
You stared at Papyrus, slightly astonished. It had not even occurred to you that the reason that Moira was able to accept Asgore in the first place was because she possessed a kind soul... It had just seemed... natural to you, but then again, you possessed that very same soul that had looked past the instilled fear and hatred so long ago. Yet, you still felt uneasy over the betrayal.  
  
"You might be right about her befriending Asgore, but she was absolutely terrified of those memories. Those same memories that I've seen, and I'd still rather face death than betray you guys."  
  
"NYEH... BUT YOU ALSO DIDN'T FACE THOSE MEMORIES ALONE."  
  
Again, you couldn't deny Papyrus' logic. Asgore and Gerson had been Moira's friends, yes, but unlike you, she didn't have them to lean on during her darkest hour. She had been utterly alone.  
  
"When did you become so smart, Papyrus?" you asked. For someone who knew little about souls, he sure was knowledgeable lately.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH! I HAVE BEEN HAVING DOCTOR ALPHYS TEACH ME EVERYTHING SHE KNOWS ABOUT HUMAN SOULS! THAT WAY I CAN HELP YOU OUT MORE!" Papyrus stated proudly.  
  
There was no stopping the smile on your face. Papyrus truly was the greatest friend you could ever ask for. He was always so kind and supportive, he went out of his way to help you, and you knew that he'd drop everything in a second to be by your side if you needed him. You loved the way he saw the good in everyone, how he could make you smile, and how he smiled in return. His strength. His gentleness. Even his silly laugh and enthusiastic, though nearly inedible, attempts at cooking just added to his charm and character. You felt your heart beating faster as you thought about him, and began to feel a bit flustered over your reaction.  
  
"So, I- um... I think we've got time to try the meditation once more tonight." you stumbled over your words a bit.  
  
"NYEH? BUT YOU FOUND OUT WHY MOIRA AGREED TO HELP THE HUMANS, DIDN'T YOU?"  
  
"Yes, but there's still a lot about her I don't understand. I mean, in the memories I have of her during the war she seems pretty disconnected from the monsters being hurt. Did she realize the harm she was causing? Did she care? If not, when did she stop caring?"  
  
"WHAT IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE ANSWERS?"  
  
"I might not, but leaving those questions for my imagination to answer might be worse."  
  
Papyrus nodded his head in understanding. There'd be no deterring you. He realized, on some level, that you could never move on until you knew.  
  
You settled down and cleared your mind once again.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
_You strained under the onslaught of magical attacks, but your barrier held. The archers took advantage of the one-way nature of your barrier to volley their own attacks back at the monsters. Several struck true, and at least half a dozen monsters turned to dust. It had already been a long battle as the unit made its way towards the targeted village, and you were panting as the strain of maintaining the barrier took its toll. You weren't sure how much longer you could keep it up. One of the monsters sounded the retreat, and you released your magic as they darted into the tree line._  
  
_"Hmph! Cowards! Charge forward! Take no prisoners!" The commander of the unit shouted._  
  
_The troops surged forward after the retreating monsters, and you followed along as best you could. You could hear the sounds of fighting and came across two footmen finishing off an armored monster as she stood over a dead soldier at the edge of the village._  
  
_The commander approached on his horse and scowled down at you._  
  
_"Your one duty is to protect our soldiers! This man's death is on your head." he accused you._  
  
_You were exhausted and grouchy, but bit back a retort about him being the one responsible for sending his soldiers charging blindly through the forest. You'd been dealing with this man for a few months now, and you knew nothing good would come from expressing your thoughts. Instead, you looked around at the deserted town. You suspected that the monsters you'd just been fighting had been buying time so the residents here could escape._  
  
_Seeing that you weren't going to respond, the commander turned to give his next order. "Spread out and search the village! Make sure there are no stragglers!" he turned to you, "That means you, too, mage."_  
  
_You sighed in annoyance, then followed one of the soldiers into a nearby house. The homes were fairly simple and easy to search, and the more you looked through, the more obvious it became that the residents had fled in a hurry. It left you feeling uneasy and sad, but what were you suppose to do? This was how things were now._  
  
_You followed the soldier into one last house and began to look around. There were plenty of furs and hunting trophies on display. Perhaps this was the home of their best hunter? You were distracted by a terrifying howl and a scream. You quickly ran to the short hallway and spotted a large female wolf monster on top of the soldier you were searching the home with. She had her jaws wrapped around his arm and was shaking him savagely as he screamed. You felt the familiar warmth of your magic and threw out your hand to shove at the monster, knocking her away from the soldier and against a wall. The soldier scrambled, bleeding, towards you as you erected a barrier to block the moon-like magical attacks the she-wolf sent towards you. When she finally tired, the soldier took the opportunity to surge forward and stab the she-wolf in the chest with his sword. She let out a choked howl that was quickly cut off as she faded to dust._  
  
_The soldier stood there breathing heavily for a few minutes as he glared down at the dust at his feet._  
  
_"Damn, beasts!" he cursed, kicking at the dust._  
  
_You, meanwhile eased towards the door at the end of the hallway and peered cautiously inside. If you had to guess, this was a bedroom of some sort, with straw piled on the floor in a sort of nest. An odd sound reached your ears, and your eyes followed it to its source. There, huddled in the corner of the room, whimpering, was a tiny wolf monster, staring at you with wide, terrified eyes, tears streaming down his face, and his overly large ears flattened back against his head. You froze at the sight of him. Had that wolf monster been his mother? Had she just been trying to protect her child?_  
  
_The wolf cub quivered more as you approached and knelt beside him. He flinched away and covered his face as you reached a hesitating hand towards him._  
  
_"M-mommy..." he whined, more tears escaping his tightly closed eyes._  
  
_You felt your heart breaking for this tiny cub. What had you done? Your eyes widened in horror as a sword pierced the defenseless monster and he scattered into dust. You looked up to see the soldier glaring at the new dust pile. He spat into the pile of dust in spite, and you felt yourself grow nauseas._  
  
_You quickly stood and ran outside of the home, barely making it outside before vomiting. What had you done? He'd just been a child calling out for his mother! His mother who you'd just helped that soldier kill! You continued to heave as you steadied yourself against the side of the house. The terrible acts that you'd helped be committed in this war had never been so distressingly clear. You didn't want to take part in the murder of mothers and children!_  
  
_You'd agreed to use your magic to help protect human soldiers in this war in exchange for your life and freedom. You'd foolishly thought this meant you wouldn't be responsible for any deaths, since you wouldn't be attacking anyone, just defending. But you were wrong. You were responsible. The monster defenders here may have been able to hold off the human troops longer if they'd been able to get any attacks through, and that may have been enough to ensure that this mother and child could escape. You may not have wielded the sword that killed them, but you were responsible for it being there. How many others had suffered similar fates because of your actions?_  
  
_...But what were you suppose to do?? If you fled the human army, they'd be sure to hunt you down and execute you for treason for daring to go back on your oath to the King. Images of deaths you'd experienced in prior lives flowed unbidden into your mind, and you felt that familiar overwhelming terror at the idea. That was why you had agreed to this in the first place. You'd seen those memories. You knew what it meant to be a human in possession of magic. You were an outcast. An abomination. Your only hope of escaping another terrifying and painful death was by earning the King's grace. Perhaps, if you were really lucky, your actions of using magic to protect the soldiers would soften the outlook humans had of magic. Maybe... just maybe... they'd be able to accept you?_  
  
_Besides...No matter how much you might hate what you're doing... No matter how much you might wish you could take it all back... You'd gone too far. Prince Asgore... No. Their King and Queen were dead. He was King Asgore now... He may have accepted you once. May have even offered you shelter and acceptance during this time of war. But, though you never once lifted a sword or bow against them, your hands were covered in dust._  
  
_You could feel your soul beginning to distance itself from the monsters you knew were suffering because of you._  
  
_It was too late._  
  
_There was no turning back._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just going to leave this here:
> 
> "What's EXP? It's an acronym. It stands for "EXecution Points." **A way of quantifying the pain you have inflicted on others.** When you kill someone, your EXP increases."
> 
> "When you have enough EXP, your LOVE increases. LOVE, too, is an acronym. It stands for "Level Of Violence." **A way of measuring someone's capacity to hurt. The more you kill, the easier it becomes to distance yourself. The more you distance yourself, the less you will hurt. The more easily you can bring yourself to hurt others.** "


	24. For the Love of a Brother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **IMPORTANT NOTE!** With this chapter, I've updated the Archive Warnings. There will be attempted rape in this chapter, and I will be marking the scenes in question with asterisks and a note to let you know where you can start reading again for those who may not be comfortable reading such things. I'll also include a basic description of the important facts at the end of the chapter to help keep you up to speed. 
> 
> In truth, it's fairly minimal as far as these types of scenes go, but I felt it was only fair to warn you guys, just in case.
> 
> In other news, I've only managed to get 1 new chapter written this week. ... Sort of. You see, I've written about the same amount that I have in previous weeks... It's just that this chapter I've written is more than TWICE the average chapter length. Now I get the fun decision of how I want to PRESENT that chapter when it comes up. There is a relatively clean place I could split it, so that's one option... I could post it at its current length and skip the normally scheduled update after that one since you'd be essentially getting 2 chapters in one... Or I could just YOLO on through it, post it as is, and continue my normally scheduled updates. (Which is an option I know everyone would love, but will be taken off the table if it negatively impacts my backlog too much.) Of course, since I JUST finished it, (As of me writing this on 6/16. Heck, I haven't even proof-read it yet!) I can't be certain if that will be an issue or not. So, if anyone wants to post their own thoughts on this, feel free to let me know!

As you had sorted through the memories of Moira's life, it had become abundantly clear that, after the war started and she realized that her actions were indirectly hurting others, she began to grow more distant and callous, eventually reaching the point where she did not even flinch as mothers and children were slain. After a point, the closest she came to hesitating was when she'd faced Asgore as she created the barrier, but even the sight of her former friend did not deter her. After the war, she had been freed as promised, but it had seemed to be a pyrrhic victory. Though she was pardoned, she was still shunned and hated, and she seemed no longer able to enjoy life as she once had. She moved into an abandoned cabin in the woods and lived out the rest of her days alone, right up to the day she was confronted by a group of superstitious villagers and murdered. She had, ironically, welcomed the embrace of death after having spent so long fearing it.  
  
"It sounds like... It sounds like she gained a lot of LOVE during the war." Alphys murmured as you, her, and Undyne sat around their kitchen table drinking tea.  
  
"What? That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever." You gave Alphys an incredulous look.  
  
"She doesn't mean love, you dork. She means LOVE. The acronym." Undyne corrected.  
  
"What acronym?" you were thoroughly confused.  
  
"It stands for Level of ViolencE," Alphys explained. "It's a measurement of a person's ability to hurt others. The more someone kills, the more EXP they gain. That stands for EXecution Points. Gain enough EXP, and your LOVE increases. The more LOVE a person has, the easier it is for them to distance themselves from others and thus the easier it is for them to cause harm."  
  
Although the terms were a bit weird, the concept was not foreign to you.  
  
"I see..."  
  
Although you now understood why Moira had done what she had done, you were still coming to terms with it. Her choice still felt cowardly to you, and while you realized that her growing callousness was a coping mechanism developed in a time of war, you couldn't help but think of how wrong it was to watch innocent people die and feel nothing.  
  
Papyrus, of course, felt you were being too harsh on your past self. But he was Papyrus. He'd forgive anyone of anything if he thought they had a good reason for their actions or at least felt bad about it. So, you had sought out Alphys and Undyne, making them promise to keep this conversation a secret, as you knew they were close to Asgore, and you were far too ashamed to let him find out.  
  
"It sounds like she was stuck in a terrible situation with no good options..." Alphys spoke up.  
  
"'Course she could have avoided the whole thing had she just accepted her death at the start." grumbled Undyne.  
  
"Can you blame her for not wanting to, though? It's natural to want to live, and after seeing so many memories of terrible ways to die, who wouldn't want to avoid that?" Alphys argued.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so. You humans can be pretty brutal." Undyne conceded.  
  
"H-hey, now! Executions like that are illegal in most countries now. While we still have executions, they're at least more humane than burning at the stake or beheading... And besides, you're one to talk Ms. Death-By-A-Thousand-Energy-Spear-Created-Cuts!" You felt slightly offended.  
  
"T-those attacks were suppose to provoke you to use your magic so we could have an epic battle before I killed you! It's not my fault you're such a weenie you can't even use the one ability you're infamous for!" Undyne sputtered, angry and embarrassed.  
  
"T-that's enough you two!" Alphys interrupted the spat before it could escalate.  
  
The two of you looked a bit remorseful.  
  
"Sorry, Undyne. You're right. Humans can be pretty shitty..."  
  
"At least all of you aren't like that. Most humans seem pretty cool, it's just a few bad apples that drag the rest of you down. And besides, we all do dumb things from time to time." Undyne admitted.  
  
The two of you smiled at each other. You may not be ready to forgive Moira, yet, but Undyne was another matter. Now that the two of you had gotten to know each other better, you didn't think you could stay mad at her for long. She was loud, obnoxious, and stubborn, sure, but she had a good heart and always meant well, even if things didn't necessarily turn out that way.  
  
"So, it's finally December. Are you guys ready for Christmas?" you asked.  
  
"Yes. I'm just about done with my shopping." Alphys nodded.  
  
"Hah, I haven't even started mine..." Undyne replied sheepishly.  
  
"Hah, don't feel bad. I've been so caught-up in trying to figure out Moira that I haven't started my shopping, either." you admitted.  
  
"So, are you going to the Christmas party that Papyrus is going to be hosting on Christmas Eve?" Alphys asked.  
  
"He did mention it... quite a few times, actually... but I'm not sure that would be the best idea." you avoided their gazes.  
  
"What do you mean 'not the best idea'?!" Undyne seemed affronted.  
  
"Well, it's not like you guys will be the only ones there..." you trailed off uncertainly.  
  
"O-oh! You're worried about the King, Queen, and Sans, aren't you?" Alphys supplied.  
  
"Pft! Have you learned nothing from me, nerd?"  
  
"Uh... that monsters are just as capable of nearly killing me as humans are??"  
  
"What? No! Well, technically yes, but not the point!" Undyne sputtered. "The point is, you need to face your fears **head on**! You need to stare them down and punch their lights out!"  
  
"I don't think punching the King would make things better..."  
  
"Well, maybe not literally... The point is, you can't keep avoiding them forever."  
  
"You wanna bet?" you grumbled.  
  
"She's right, _____. How can you expect them to give you a chance if you don't give them a chance to get to know you?" Alphys chimed in.  
  
"Yeah, and it's not like they'd even be in the majority there. I mean, you've got Papyrus, Me, Alphys, Mettaton, and Frisk on your side."  
  
"Besides, I think you'd have fun! There'll be music, and movies, and games, and snacks..." Alphys began to list off activities.  
  
"Alright, alright. I get it. I'll think about it." you conceded, a little sorry you'd brought the subject up, but knowing it would've come up at some point eventually. You spoke again before they could push further. "Anyway, are we going to watch this movie or not?" You held up the DVD you'd brought with you.  
  
"Is that the one with the warrior princess and the animal gods you were talking about?" Undyne was excited.  
  
"Yep! Princess Mononoke, another Ghibli classic. You are really going to like this one, Undyne!" you grinned.  
  
"Well, why didn't you say so?! Come on, Alphy! Let's get the snacks ready!"  
  
"Of course!"  
  
If there was one thing that could distract these two from an awkward conversation, it was the promise of a new anime.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You startled awake. Still groggy, you glanced around your room in confusion before settling your eyes on your clock glowing in the darkness.  
  
_"Ugh... It's 2:52 AM... Why am I awake?"_  
  
You didn't have to pee, which was strange, as that was usually the only thing that could wake you, since you tended to sleep like the dead. You rolled over and snuggled back under the covers. A sleepy fog settled in your mind, but before it could take hold you heard the telltale sign of Cleo's late-night burst of energy as she charged through the apartment.  
  
_"Why do cats have to be so energetic at 3 in the morning?"_ you groaned.  
  
You covered your ears to try and drown out the sound of Cleo tearing through the apartment at max speed. You heard her dart into the room and under the bed, growling.  
  
"Ugh... Please tell me you didn't catch another mouse. The last 'present' you left for me was missing one of its legs..." you grumbled as you leaned over the side of the bed to peak underneath.  
  
It didn't occur to you until after you were peaking into the darkness underneath your bed that it was a pretty pointless endeavor in the dead of night. Of course you couldn't see a thing.  
  
You started to shift back up onto the bed when you heard the floorboards creak and glanced up. There was a silhouette in the darkness, and you barely had time to take it in before they were upon you. You cried out in surprise and fell onto your stomach from the bed onto the floor, tangled in your sheets, and quickly found a hand on your mouth and a knife at your throat as the intruder used his body weight to pin you to the ground.  
  
***** // It starts getting sketchy here! You can skip to next set of asterisks!  
  
"One sound, and I'll make sure you never speak again," the man threatened, pressing the knife harder against your throat in warning, just enough to draw blood.  
  
_"Shit! What the fucking shit?! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! **Fuck!** "_  
  
You mind was reeling as you took in the situation. There was an intruder in your apartment! And he was threatening to kill you!  
  
_"What the fuck do I do?!"_  
  
You trembled in fear, and did the only thing you could do: you kept quiet, as you were told. If he wasn't bluffing, calling for help would get you killed, and even if he was bluffing, you couldn't be sure your neighbors would even hear you, as they were all likely asleep and the closest apartment to your bedroom was past several walls.  
  
The intruder seemed satisfied that you were cowed into submission, removing his hand from your mouth and using the knife as a reminder of what would happen if you didn't cooperate.  
  
"I've been waiting for this day for months, you know." he started. "I've been keeping a close eye on you and just imagining all the ways I'm going to tear you apart for what you did, you bitch!" he ended with a growl.  
  
You almost asked what the hell he was talking about, but the added pressure on your throat as soon as you opened your mouth was enough to quiet you.  
  
"I was going to just start cutting you to pieces, but now that I'm here, it feels like a waste. After all, if you've been whoring yourself out to those goddamn monsters, why shouldn't I get a go?" he purred threateningly into your ear.  
  
"N-no!" you cried out and began fighting back. You didn't know why he was doing this, but it was fairly clear that this guy had no intention of letting you survive the night, and now he was threatening to rape you before murdering you.  
  
Your struggles didn't mean much, unfortunately, as he had all the leverage and was clearly stronger than you. He grabbed you by the hair and slammed your face into the floor, then cracked you on the side of the head with the handle of his knife. With you momentarily stunned, you heard ripping fabric and then felt something being forcefully stuffed into your mouth and bound around your head. Next, your arms were wrestled behind your back and bound as well.  
  
_"Oh god! No no no no no!"_  
  
"Dumb move, bitch." He snarled in your ear.  
  
With you now bound and gagged, he put down the knife so that he could use both of his hands. You felt him painfully grip your hair and yank hard, forcing you to arch upwards. He used the opportunity to reach up your shirt with his other hand and roughly start fondling your breasts. Tears were now streaming unbidden from your eyes.  
  
_"This can't be happening... Please, just let me wake up and find out this is all just a nightmare..."_  
  
Soon enough, he decided to move on and roughly shoved your face back to the floor. Using his grip on your hair as leverage, he shifted his weight off of you enough so that he could reach down and start tugging at the sheets tangled around your legs and waist. You renewed your struggles, but again they were fruitless. The rip of your pajama pants echoed loudly in your ears, and you felt his free hand grope you through your panties. You struggled harder.  
  
_"No! No! NO!"_ your mind screamed.  
  
The intruder pinned you once again, this time settling on your legs and thrusting his hips against your ass.  
  
"Go ahead and struggle, sweetheart. All that movement... seeing you so terrified... you're just making this better for me." he panted in your ear as he continued to grind against you. "I'm going to fuck you so hard you-"  
  
*****  
  
There was a loud yowl, followed by the intruder's pained scream as Cleo launched herself out of her hiding place under the bed and sunk her teeth into the man's thigh, her front paws wrapping around his leg and her claws digging furiously into his inner-thigh as her back paws clawed at any part of him they could reach.  
  
You were startled at first by the sound and the sudden absence of the intruder on top of you as he flung himself away from the bed where Cleo had attacked from and began desperately trying to remove her from himself. It did not take you long, however, to regain your senses and struggle to your feet. You stumbled out the door and ran towards the living room, accidentally smashing a lamp as you nearly tripped over the ripped tatters of your pajamas that still clung to your legs.  
  
You had to get away.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Sans laid half-dozing in his usual spot on the roof of your apartment. While he couldn't keep an eye on you all the time, he had taken to keeping an eye on you whenever he could. At first he'd been vigilant during his watch, catching up on sleep at his multiple jobs. However, as months passed and nothing happened, he'd started to grow lax, dozing off almost as often as he spent watching the Soul Tracker on his phone, especially during his night watches. At least he didn't have to watch you as much during the day, now that you were hanging out with Undyne and Alphys. As much as he loved his brother, he was too trusting and would never suspect you of anything until it was too late. Undyne and Alphys, on the other hand, were not nearly so naive and optimistic. Sure, they were apparently friends with you now, but if you showed any hint of turning against monsters, neither of them would just sweep the signs under the rug.  
  
Sans glanced at his phone to check the time.  
  
_"3:02 am... guess I fell asleep for a bit."_ He stretched, shifting into a more comfortable position.  
  
He then checked the Soul Tracker. You were in your bedroom, just as he expected, but...  
  
_"...huh... why is this thing picking up on fear? she having a nightmare or somethin'?"_  
  
The quiet of the night was disrupted by a yowl and a man's shout. Sans glanced over the side of the building, but didn't see anyone on the street below. His eyes narrowed as he tried to determine the source of the sound. It was then that he spotted curtains fluttering through an open window leading to the fire escape.  
  
_"why would humans leave a window open like that in december..."_ Sans questioned suspiciously. He heard the sound of something smash coming from the apartment with the open window. He got to his feet and teleported down to the fire escape.  
  
The window was on your floor, and a quick inspection showed that, while the glass was intact, the lock on the window was busted. There was a cat's yowl, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps, and then an angry voice.  
  
"Stupid bitch!" a smacking sound followed by muffled cry. "Now you're really going to pay, and then I'm going to kill that fucking cat of yours, too!" The male voice was furious, but also clearly trying to keep the volume down.  
  
"shit..." Sans cursed.  
  
He'd always been careful not to reveal that he was keeping an eye on you, but there was no way he could pretend that everything was fine right now. He looked at the windows of your closest neighbors and didn't see any indication that they heard the altercation. The open window and his, admittedly lax, job as sentry on your roof meant that he was apparently the only one who realized there was trouble. He thought of calling the police, but from the sounds of things, he was worried they wouldn't arrive in time.  
  
He looked in through the window, listening to your muffled sobs only a moment longer before making his decision. He may not trust you, but he didn't want you to actually get hurt, either. Sans climbed in through the window and found himself in the spare bedroom. There was a cot in one corner, but it mostly seemed that you used the room as a giant closet. He quickly made his way out the door and down the hall towards the living room, using his ability to see in the dark to ensure a quiet approach.  
  
***** // It gets sketchy again here, but it's a shorter scene.  
  
Once there, he found you whimpering as you were bent backwards over the back of the couch, the intruder pushed flush up against you, one hand lifting your leg up around his hip as he ground into you, the other dragging a knife down your arm as he bit into your shoulder to stifle his own groans.  
  
"I'm going to give you everything you deserve and then some, you fucking bitch!" the intruder growled.  
  
He seemed to catch the look of fear and confusion on your face in the low light streaming in through the windows.  
  
"You don't even fucking know who I am, do you?" he seemed angry, and you just cowered as his grip tightened and he pressed against you harder. " **You're** the reason my brother is in jail! If you hadn't intervened, that skeleton freak would have been dead before those security guards even fucking noticed! Oh, but don't worry. I'll be much better prepared to deal with that fucking beast the next time." he ended with a purr, reaching one hand towards his pants while scooting the other one up your leg to pull aside your panties.  
  
*****  
  
"so you're not just some random rapist huh? i was beginnin' to think _____ was cursed or somethin'."  
  
You were dropped as the intruder whipped around, brandishing his knife at the dark hallway.  
  
"Who's there?!" he demanded, only able to make out a basic shape in the darkness with two pinpricks of light emanating from the figure's head.  
  
Sans stepped forward into the dull light from the living room windows, closing his eyes as he did so.  
  
He shrugged nonchalantly. "me? i'm just a guy who's got a **bone** to pick with the assholes responsible for hospitalizing my bro a few months ago. so, tell me... **pal...** " Sans opened his eyes, the small lights that made up his pupils absent, leaving nothing but pure darkness to contrast with the white of his bones, his permanent grin seeming horribly sinister in this context.  
  
**"A r e y o u r e a d y t o h a v e a b a d t i m e ?"**  
  
Before the intruder could respond, Sans' left eye flared to life gaining a fiery blue and gold pupil, and with a quick toss of his hand, the intruder was smashed into the ceiling. He yelped in surprise, and you looked up to see him writhing desperately on the ceiling, his yellow soul exposed and encased in a dark blue aura of magic. The intruder cried out as he was dropped, but halfway down, Sans flicked his hand again, this time sending the man off to the side and smashing into a shelf that held a potted plant before he finished dropping to the ground.  
  
The man staggered back to his feet. "You goddamn freak! I'm gonna **bury** you!"  
  
Sans chuckled darkly, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "hah. nice pun. so, you want to bury some bones, huh? guess you really are a **bitch.** "  
  
The intruder snarled at the insult and lunged at Sans, slashing at him with the knife. Sans just casually stepped to the side.  
  
"guess you didn't like my **cutting** remark."  
  
The intruder turned and slashed at Sans, once again catching nothing but air as Sans casually dodged.  
  
"you should probably **bone** up on your fighting techniques if you ever want to hit me." Sans struck the intruder in the gut with a conjured bone as he made his pun. "try putting more **backbone** into it." Another strike, this time to the back.  
  
"You son of a bitch!" the man cursed and swung at Sans, who stepped back out of reach.  
  
"sorry, **mom** , but i don't think you understand the **gravity** of the situation."  
  
Sans hand came out once again, reapplying his blue magic and flinging the intruder across the room where he smashed into your bookshelf. Of course, it wasn't the highest quality piece of furniture, so having a fully grown man crash into it resulted in its collapse, showering the intruder in books, DVDs, games, and bits of particleboard.  
  
It took a minute, but the intruder staggered to his feet, bleeding and most likely bruised, his knife lost somewhere in the mess. His eyes left Sans and fell on you where you sat huddled by the couch where he'd dropped you. Your eyes widened in terror as he lunged towards you, clearly intent on using you as a hostage. Just before he could reach, however, he was once again smashed upwards into the ceiling, cursing angrily.  
  
"Goddamn cheating mother fucker!"  
  
"i'm gonna have to call **foul** on whatever you were plannin' there, but if that's how you're gonna play this **game** , than i guess it's time for you to get **dunked** on."  
  
Sans flung his arm to the side, then down, bringing the intruder down hard on the floor a bit farther away from you. There was a nasty sounding crunch as his face collided with the floor and began spurting blood from his, now broken, nose. Sans, however, was not done yet: he lifted his arm and began ricocheting the intruder around the room like a pinball, the man screaming in pain and terror, and numerous other items and pieces of furniture being smashed in the chaos.  
  
Finally, the man's screams stopped and Sans let him flop to the ground. You stared wide-eyed and trembling at the man before realizing that he was, in fact, still breathing. He had simply lost consciousness. Numerous bones appeared in the air around the intruder, each filed down to a sharp point on one end. You shut your eyes as they darted toward the intruder, hearing a tell-tale thud as they struck their target. You carefully opened your eyes and were both disappointed and relieved to see that the intruder was not dead, but rather that the bones were embedded in your floor crisscrossing over him to leave him immobilized.  
  
You barely noticed when Sans knelt down next to your huddled, trembling form.  
  
"you, uh, seem a bit **tied up** at the moment... let me give you a hand..." Even Sans cringed a bit at his pun this time, but he couldn't help it. Humor was how he dealt with stress, even if he did realize it was in poor taste.  
  
You didn't seem to notice, as you were still in shock. He removed the gag and untied your wrists. He continued to kneel awkwardly next to you, unsure of what to do as you continued to tremble and whimper.  
  
You turned your unfocused gaze towards him, and although you were not close, the only thing your mind was processing was that Sans had saved you. Sans was safe.  
  
Next thing Sans knew, you had thrown yourself at him and were sobbing uncontrollably into his shoulder, with your arms wrapped tightly around him. He awkwardly returned the embrace and tried to rub your back soothingly, while trying not to freak out, himself. He did not handle crying very well, as he had no idea what to do. He tried to think of something to say, but cringed when the only things that came to mind were jokes and puns, and he wasn't so sure how you'd react to them, so he opted to just keep his mouth shut.  
  
Within moments, there was a loud pounding at your door.  
  
"Hey! What's going on in there? _____? Are you alright?" a man's anxious voice called from the other side.  
  
Sans looked over towards the door, but you made no move to answer it. It sounded like his... confrontation... with the intruder had finally woken your neighbors. There was a bit of cursing, and then it sounded like they were trying to break down the door. They could probably hear you crying. Stuck as he was with you clinging to him, Sans carefully focused his magic on the lock until he managed to get it open. It wasn't a simple feat manipulating objects with his magic alone, but magic was one of the things Sans was no slouch at.  
  
The door burst open and two men, each still in their nightclothes, entered, one was armed with a baseball bat, the other a gun. They spotted the unconscious intruder pinned to the floor, first, then followed your sobbing to find you and Sans behind the couch.  
  
"_____?! What happened here? And who are you?" the man with the gun demanded suspiciously.  
  
"that guy broke in to _____'s apartment and attacked her. i intervened." Sans stated simply.  
  
The man with the gun took in the sight of the intruder pinned to the ground by bones once again. The man with the bat turned to Sans.  
  
"You're not the skeleton we usually see her hanging around with." he stated, allowing the previously ignored question of just who Sans was hang in the air between them.  
  
"yeah, that's my bro."  
  
The man seemed more at-ease with that response. Now that both were satisfied that the intruder was dealt with and that Sans was no threat, their attention turned to you.  
  
"Hey, are you alright?" the man with the bat knelt next to you and Sans and spoke softly.  
  
You had calmed down considerably in the past few minutes, but you were far from 'alright.' You shook your head without lifting it from where it rested on Sans' shoulder. You didn't trust yourself to speak, and you weren't ready to let go of the comforting familiarity of a bony body hugging you, even if it was Sans instead of Papyrus this time.  
  
"The police should be here soon. I'll keep an eye on this guy. Why don't you take her next door, Pat, so she doesn't have to be in the same room as this filth." The man with the gun spoke up.  
  
"Sure thing, Mike." Pat responded.  
  
It took a bit of coaxing, but Sans and Pat managed to get you next door where Pat did everything he could to try and help, including providing you with a pair of pants, a blanket, and offered you food and drink, which you declined. Sans sat next to you on the couch, just as uncertain as ever. You weren't clinging to him quite as thoroughly as before, but you were still gripping his hand. The awkwardness was interrupted by the sound of sirens and flashing lights from the windows as the police finally arrived. Pat headed out to lead them to the right place.  
  
"heh... guess it's a good thing i didn't just call the police and leave it at that." Sans mumbled to himself, noting how long it took them to arrive.  
  
While it felt like hours, it had actually only been a few minutes, but after what he'd seen, he knew you'd have been in a far worse state by the time they arrived if he hadn't stepped in. You looked over at Sans, the room too quiet for you not to have heard what he said.  
  
"Why..." you rasped, voice still sore from crying so hard. "Why were you even here, Sans?" you questioned. Your brain had finally calmed down from its panicked high and it had occurred to you that Sans being here at all was very strange.  
  
Sans tensed, beginning to sweat nervously. "i'm, ah, not sure you're gonna like the answer to that..."  
  
You just continued to stare at him silently until he finally gave in.  
  
"look, kid..." he hesitated, trying to figure out how to put this without sounding like a total creep. "you know how... wary.. everyone's been of ya since we found out about your past..." he fidgeted some more. "well, with papyrus spending so much time with ya, i was extra worried, so..." You waited patiently for him to continue. "...since i couldn't convince him to stay away from ya, i decided to keep an eye on things to make sure ya didn't hurt him..."  
  
Sans didn't seem like he was going to elaborate any further. "...But why are you here now? Where were you? How did you know that..." you trailed off anxiously as thoughts of the attack filtered back into your mind.  
  
"well, i figured there were plenty of eyes on ya during most days, so that just left nighttime. i've, ah, been hanging out on your roof keeping an eye on things when i've been able to... i was up there tonight, when i heard a cat yowling and the intruder shouting from the window he broke in through. i... i couldn't just do nothin'. **no one** deserves what that bastard tried to do to you."  
  
"So, you've been **stalking** me..." you concluded.  
  
Sans flinched. As much as he wanted to deny it, that was pretty much the truth of it. Nothing more was said as, at that point, Pat lead one of the officers and some paramedics into the apartment, more police heading down the hall towards your apartment.  
  
The paramedics took a few minutes to question you about where you were hurt, checking for any signs of concussion, and doing some preliminary treatment on your cuts, which were fairly shallow and already clotted. The police officer then took a few minutes to ask you what happened. You explained how you'd woken up and were attacked in your bedroom. Sans added in that the man had broken in through the spare bedroom via the fire escape. It was hard to get the words out, but you told her about how the man threatened to rape and kill you as he assaulted you. You told her the assault was interrupted by your cat, and that he'd followed you when you fled to the living room.  
  
"He... he was about to rape me when Sans arrived and stopped it."  
  
"Alright. And how did you get into the apartment, Mr. Sans?"  
  
"i was-" you cut Sans off.  
  
"He was sleeping in the guest bedroom."  
  
Sans looked at you curiously.  
  
"... The same guest bedroom that the intruder entered through?" the officer asked, confused.  
  
"Yes. I guess he didn't notice Sans sleeping there, and, well... Sans sleeps like the **dead.** " A small smirk formed on your lips.  
  
Sans' eyes lit up at the pun, and he was honestly surprised that you were lying for him. You finished talking about what happened, and the officer left to confer with her partner. Sans went along, too, when it became apparent that they couldn't remove the intruder from your apartment while he was pinned to the floor.  
  
When asked, you refused to go to the hospital. You hated hospitals, and your injuries were minor. You were advised rest and to seek counseling, though, for the mental trauma. A part of you thought that would be a good idea, given that the universe seemed to have it out for you, but another part worried if the crazier sounding aspects of your life would come up and wind up getting you locked in a mental ward. You decided that you'd think about it...  
  
You waited in Pat and Mike's apartment as the police officers collected evidence from the crime scene. Sans, meanwhile, noted the destruction he'd caused in his fury. The living room was an absolute mess, with a number of items smashed, and blood from the bastard's broken nose on the walls, floor, and ceiling. He had to explain to the officers there that he used his magic to toss the guy around a bit. They seemed a bit surprised, but most thought that it was a justifiable reaction upon finding someone trying to rape a friend. Sans opted not to correct their assumption.  
  
Sans pulled out his phone and dialed a number from his contacts list. Word of what happened was bound to get out, so he may as well get it over with. "... hey, bro..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's the basics of what happens: The intruder pins Reader to the ground, and uses his leverage and weapon to bind her hands and gag her. His groping and threats are interrupted when Cleo attacks him, and Reader uses the distraction to flee to the living room. It's at this point that Sans, who's been dozing at his post on the roof, wakes up and realizes that something's wrong. He decides that, although he doesn't trust you, no one deserves what's currently happening to you and he opts to intervene rather than call the police and risk them arriving too late, which is a damn good thing because he arrives just in the nick of time. Needless to say, the intruder has a bad time.
> 
> I really like awkward comforting Sans. Beating the crap out of a genocidal maniac or rapist? No problem. Crying woman? Terrifying and uncomfortable. lol


	25. Relocation

Sans returned to Pat and Mike's apartment. You were still seated on the couch, now nursing what smelled like a cup of hot chocolate. Apparently, Pat had finally convinced you to have something. Sans sat down next to you again. There was a question burning in his mind, and with the two of you alone at the moment, he decided to ask.  
  
"why didn't you tell them where i really was?" Sans was well aware that you could have gotten him in deep trouble if you chose.  
  
"You saved me." you replied simply.  
  
It wasn't quite the answer Sans expected. "i thought that maybe it was because of papyrus..."  
  
You considered this briefly. It was true that it probably would have hurt Papyrus if you'd reported Sans' stalking, but the thought honestly hadn't occurred to you until now.  
  
"No." you concluded. "I guess what you were doing just doesn't seem like that big a deal compared to everything that's happened. I mean, if I can forgive Undyne after what happened last month just because she apologized, than I can forgive you after you saved my life."  
  
Sans was looking at you curiously in that way that left you feeling oddly exposed. The moment passed, and Sans' expression seemed to relax. "heh." He huffed out, and smiled at you.  
  
_"Is that... the first **real** smile he's given me?"_  
  
There was a sound like a stampede coming up the stairs.  
  
"whoops. guess i better intercept him before he tears up your apartment more than i did in his search for you."  
  
You didn't need to ask who Sans was talking about as he stepped out into the hall, and you carefully placed your hot chocolate down. Moments later, Papyrus burst into the room, still in his pajamas and bunny slippers.  
  
"_____!!" he shouted your name, leaping over the coffee table and scooping you up into a tight hug that would put a boa constrictor to shame.  
  
"...Air..." you managed to wheeze out, and Papyrus loosened his death grip... a little.  
  
"I RUSHED OVER THE SECOND MY BROTHER CALLED AND TOLD ME YOU'D BEEN ATTACKED IN YOUR APARTMENT!"  
  
You glanced past Papyrus at Sans who had sauntered his way back into the apartment. That explained why Papyrus was here, and in his pajamas.  
  
"ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!"  
  
"I think I'm okay... I'd be a lot worse off if not for Sans."  
  
"NYEH?" Papyrus looked over at his brother. "THAT REMINDS ME, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, BROTHER? I THOUGHT YOU'D BE LAZING ABOUT IN BED, AS USUAL?"  
  
Sans looked a bit nervous. "heh... you know me, bro. always finding weird places to nap."  
  
Papyrus narrowed his eyes suspiciously.  
  
"He's been keeping an eye out for me, Pap." You tried to assuage him.  
  
"FOR YOU, OR ON YOU?"  
  
Sans winced. Papyrus was optimistic and often times naive, yes, but he was not stupid. He knew his brother was protective of him, and that he didn't trust you. Sans had told him that himself. But to find out his brother had been spying on you?  
  
You placed a hand on Papyrus' shoulder to draw his attention. "Papyrus..." He looked back at you. "He saved my life."  
  
Papyrus' expression softened. You were right. The important thing was that you were safe, and if you weren't mad, neither was he.  
  
Pat walked back into the living room to see what the commotion was.  
  
"Hey Papyrus."  
  
Papyrus finally released you to turn and greet Pat. "AH! GREETINGS HUMAN PAT! WHERE IS HUMAN MIKE?"  
  
"I think he's still at _____'s apartment talking to the police. Although I'm not sure what more we can offer them. It was all over by the time we got there." Pat explained.  
  
"YOU HAVE DONE PLENTY! YOU HAVE CLEARLY OPENED YOUR HOME TO _____ AND DONE YOUR BEST TO ENSURE THAT SHE IS COMFORTABLE, AND FOR THAT, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, THANK YOU, HUMANS!"  
  
Pat smiled. "Of course. It's what any decent person would do."  
  
It was at that time that Mike finally returned. "Hey, Papyrus. Thought I heard your voice." Mike smirked in amusement. There was little doubt he'd heard Papyrus even from inside your own apartment.  
  
"HELLO, HUMAN MIKE!" Papyrus smiled.  
  
"So, looks like it'll take time for them to fully investigate, so you may not have proper access to your apartment for a while, _____." Mike grimaced a bit. "Not that I think you should be staying there right now with the state it's in."  
  
This left you with a fairly obvious problem.  
  
"It's not much, but you can sleep on our couch if you like." Pat offered, Mike nodded along in agreement.  
  
"Thanks, Pat, Mike... but I don't know how long it'll take to get my apartment back in order and... secure... I wouldn't want to crash on your couch for too long..." you smiled slightly.  
  
"why don't you ask alphys and undyne if you can stay with them? they've got a guest room, and, seeing as how you guys are friends, they probably wouldn't mind. you could probably even carpool to work with alphys." Sans suggested.  
  
"That's probably a good id-"  
  
"NONSENSE!" Papyrus cut you off, and you all looked to him, slightly bewildered. "THERE'S NO NEED TO BOTHER THEM AT THIS HOUR! CLEARLY, _____ WILL BE STAYING IN OUR GUEST BEDROOM!" He nodded as if agreeing with himself.  
  
"what? paps-"  
  
"IT'S SETTLED, THEN! I'LL START GATHERING YOUR THINGS AND LOADING THE CAR!"  
  
Before anyone could get in a word edgewise, Papyrus darted out the door and down the hall. Everyone stared out the door after him for a few moments, still processing what just happened. Everyone, that is, except Sans. He knew exactly what had happened. He'd seen it plenty of times growing up, after all. Papyrus had a habit of just sort of deciding things for people without consulting them, and then barreling on ahead with his decision in the hopes that they wouldn't be able to argue with him. It wasn't done out of selfishness, really. It only seemed to crop up when Papyrus got particularly worried about someone, like the time he'd dragged Sans on a picnic to the wishing room in Waterfall when he was feeling particularly depressed.  
  
Sans might be on better terms with you now, but that did not mean he liked you, let alone wanted to share his home with you. He certainly didn't want to encourage you and his brother to spend MORE time together... But for Papyrus to pull this stunt... Sans sighed in resignation. He could tolerate you if it would help his brother's peace-of-mind.  
  
"why don't you make a list of what you need, so paps and I can get it? start with what you'll need for a day or two. we can always come back for other things some other time."  
  
You looked at Sans, surprised. You hadn't expected him to just go along with this. You nodded, and after being handed a piece of paper and a pen by Mike, you began to list what you'd need. The list prepared, Sans headed over to your apartment and, after a brief chat with the police, who had detained Papyrus and were lecturing him on crime scene etiquette, they began to gather the items on the list. It was all fairly simple until it came to collecting Cleo herself, who had once again holed herself up underneath your bed.  
  
"COME ON, MISS CLEO! YOU CAN'T STAY HERE!" Papyrus tried to coax her, but was having no luck, receiving only growls and hisses in response.  
  
"sheesh. she's got quite the **cat** titude problem."  
  
"SANS! THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR YOUR PUNNING!"  
  
Sans peeked underneath the bed, and was suddenly much less amused. "uh, bro? i don't think her leg's suppose to bend that way..."  
  
Papyrus shifted his angle and saw what had caught his brother's attention. Cleo's back left leg was clearly broken. "OH NO! WE HAVE TO HELP HER, SANS!"  
  
"that might be easier said than done, bro. i'm pretty sure she intends to fight us, even if we are trying to help her."  
  
Papyrus considered the situation for a few moments. "IF I LIFT THE BED, CAN YOU USE YOUR MAGIC TO GET HER INTO THE CARRIER?"  
  
"good idea. this is why you're the great papyrus." Sans grinned at his brother, who returned the grin in kind.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH! NATURALLY! I ALWAYS HAVE GREAT IDEAS!"  
  
The plan was good, but hardly foolproof. Papyrus easily hoisted the bed up, and Sans grabbed hold of Cleo with his magic the second she tried to bolt, carefully lifting her into the air. This, of course, resulted in her yowling in fury while twisting every which way, and then there was the problem of getting her into the carrier, as she seemed determined to brace herself at the entrance no matter which way Sans turned her. Eventually, they succeeded, but Papyrus was worried she may have hurt herself even more in the struggle.  
  
They returned to Pat and Mike's apartment with the carrier emanating angry growls.  
  
"You catch yourself a demon while you were in there or something?" Mike laughed.  
  
"heh. probably." Sans smirked.  
  
"_____, I'M AFRAID CLEO'S BEEN HURT..."  
  
"What??" You rushed over to the carrier, worry plastered on your face as you peered inside at the angry ball of fur huddled at the back.  
  
"yeah... looks like her leg was broken. probably happened when she attacked the guy who broke in."  
  
"I'm so sorry, Cleo! You got hurt protecting me! You poor thing... Shit... are there any vet clinics open at this hour? We can't just leave her like this all night!"  
  
After a quick search on your phone, you bid Pat and Mike goodnight and headed on your way to the nearest 24-hour emergency vet clinic.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Several hours, multiple x-rays, and a liberal use of sedatives later, and it was determined that Cleo would need surgery, but should recover well. As much as you didn't want to, you had to leave her in the care of the vets' office for now, as it would be a few hours before the surgeon was even in, since her injury was not life threatening. At least they had put on a temporary splint to keep her from further injury, and given her some pain meds. The technician on duty assured you they'd keep her as comfortable as possible during her stay.  
  
With nothing more you could do for now, you reluctantly agreed it was time to head back to the brother's household. The sun was already rising by the time you arrived.  
  
You looked at the two-story home as Papyrus pulled into the driveway. This was actually the first time you'd visited the skeleton brothers' home. Between your fear of monsters, then finding out you were one of the seven mages, then feeling too anxious of Sans, you'd always avoided the place. You and Papyrus gathered up your things, and the three of you headed inside.  
  
"WELCOME TO SCENEIC OUR HOUSE!" Papyrus beamed. "LET ME GIVE YOU THE TOUR!"  
  
"Huh?" you responded, your brain foggy and exhausted after the night's events.  
  
"may want to save the full tour for another time, bro. _____ is probably **bone** tired. i know i am."  
  
"SANS!" Papyrus protested the pun.  
  
"Sorry, Paps, but I am really exhausted..."  
  
Papyrus nodded in understanding. "VERY WELL. LET ME SHOW YOU TO YOUR ROOM, THAN!"  
  
Papyrus lead the way up the stairs. While you didn't understand the significance of the layout, it was actually set-up like an expanded version of their home in Snowdin. Papyrus pointed out the bathroom, and then lead you to the guest room between his and Sans' bedrooms. You didn't even bother taking in anything before you dropped your stuff on the ground and flopped down on the bed, burrowing into the blankets.  
  
Papyrus gently placed the rest of your stuff down. "SLEEP WELL, _____."  
  
"'Night..." you responded blearily, already half asleep.  
  
You were out like a light before Papyrus even finished shutting the door behind him.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You were disoriented and confused when you finally woke up. It took a few minutes for memories of last night's events to finally filter into your brain, and for you to remember you were in the skeleton brother's guest bedroom. You didn't want to think about last night, so you focused on examining your surroundings. The room was fairly basic. There was a blue and purple chevron patterned rug, and the walls were painted a different shade of purple. The bed had blue sheets, there was a bureau, a desk, and even a bookshelf with a few knick-knacks on it. You spotted a couple pictures of the skeleton brothers and their friends, some you recognized, others you did not. Your eyes finally landed onto the alarm clock settled on top of the nightstand next to the bed.  
  
_"Shit. 2:43? I'm going to have a hell of a time trying to fall asleep tonight..."_  
  
You unpacked the meager belongings you brought with you last night, plugging in your phone which had died sometime in the night, then grabbed your toiletries and a change of clothes before heading out of the room to go take a shower. You weren't sure where Sans was; possibly sleeping, or at work... or both, if what Papyrus told you was true. Papyrus, however, jumped up from where he'd apparently been seated on the couch as soon as you exited the room.  
  
"YOU'RE AWAKE!" he seemed relieved. "WOULD YOU LIKE SOME BREAKFAST- ER, LUNCH... OR..." Papyrus desperately tried to think of a term to indicate a meal between lunch and dinner, similar to how brunch was between breakfast and lunch. "LUNNER??"  
  
Your stomach growled, but you were dead set on taking a shower first. You still felt... disgusting... after last night... "Maybe after I shower..."  
  
"AH, NO PROBLEM! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, MASTER CHEF EXTRODINARE, WILL HAVE A FEAST READY FOR YOU WHEN YOU ARE DONE!"  
  
"Uh... that's not necessary Paps... really..." You cringed at the idea of Papyrus' cooking, especially unsupervised. "How about we cook something together after I get out of the shower?" So long as you were there, you could at least ensure whatever was made would be reasonably edible.  
  
Papyrus' face lit up at the suggestion. "OF COURSE!"  
  
You smiled and made your way into the bathroom to hop in the shower. You took your time washing up and just enjoying the heat of the water. Finally, after deciding you'd probably wasted enough water, you stepped out and got dressed. You dropped your clothes off in the guest room and headed downstairs where Papyrus was waiting eagerly.  
  
"ARE YOU READY TO GET COOKING?" He asked.  
  
"Sure, let's see what we've got to work with and decide what to make." You smiled at him.  
  
After perusing their food stores, you decided to make spaghetti. Well, 'decide' isn't quite the right word, really, as that would indicate that there was some other choice.  
  
"Papyrus, why does your pantry consist entirely of spaghetti, sauce, and ketchup?"  
  
"NYEH?! WELL... SPAGHETTI IS THE GREATEST OF ALL FOODS, AND WHILE I KNOW YOU PREFER NOT TO EAT IT EVERY DAY, I WAS NOT EXPECTING YOU TO BE STAYING HERE LAST TIME I WENT GROCERY SHOPPING. AS FOR THE KETCHUP, THAT'S MY BROTHER'S."  
  
"Why does he need... 1... 2... .... 9.... 10 gallons of ketchup??"  
  
"HE PUTS IT ON EVERYTHING. HIS DINNER ENDS UP LOOKING MORE LIKE A PLATE OF KETCHUP RATHER THAN A PLATE OF SPAGHETTI MOST NIGHTS. HE ALSO LIKES TO DRINK IT STRAIGHT FROM THE BOTTLE. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I'VE SCOLDED HIM AND TOLD HIM TO USE A GLASS." Papyrus looked annoyed, but showed no signs that he found this unusual.  
  
You could see the benefit of drowning out the flavor of Papyrus' cooking, but, "Wait... did you say he **drinks** it??"  
  
"YES?" Papyrus seemed perplexed by your exclamation.  
  
You just shook your head in exasperation. "Never mind."  
  
"WELL, THAN... IF YOU'RE READY, LET'S GET STARTED!" Papyrus put a pot on the stove and slammed some pasta, box and all, into the otherwise empty pot, then began reaching for the dial to turn on the heat.  
  
"W-wait!" You cried out, fearful of the inevitable culinary catastrophe.  
  
"NYEH?" Papyrus looked at you curiously.  
  
"Maybe... Maybe we could... uh... try some human cooking styles?" you grasped for something, anything, to deter Papyrus from his normal fireball-inducing cooking instincts.  
  
"HUMAN COOKING STYLES? HUMAN COOKING IS DIFFERENT THAN MONSTER COOKING?"  
  
"Y-yes! Your cooking is a bit... intense... for the average human. So, I thought I could teach you how humans do it?" you grinned anxiously at Papyrus, hoping he didn't notice how strained it was.  
  
"HMM... YOU HAVE MY CURIOUSITY, NOW. HOW DO HUMANS PREPARE SPAGHETTI?"  
  
You began guiding Papyrus through the steps of making a normal batch of spaghetti. You had to correct him regularly when he wanted to smash the tomatoes with his fists, crank up the heat on the pasta, or add glitter to the sauce.  
  
"I DO NO THINK I LIKE HUMAN COOKING. WHERE IS THE FIRE AND PASSION THAT'S SUPPOSE TO GO INTO A DISH? AND WHY WOULD YOU LEAVE OUT SUCH IMPORTANT INGREDIENTS SUCH AS GLITTER?" Papyrus grouched, disgruntled that you'd stopped him from cranking up the heat on the sauce.  
  
"There's fire and passion, but it's just not quite so literal. It's just focused in a different way. Using ingredients in the wrong amounts can completely change the flavor of the food. So you need to be precise and careful about how you go about it." Papyrus didn't seem to be buying it, so you tried explaining it in a different way. "Human cooking is about precision, not power. Imagine... imagine if you were confronting a bad guy who had taken several children hostage. While you COULD use power to stop him by, say, lifting a huge boulder and throwing it at him, that would risk hurting the children. The better option would be to use precision by using a smaller attack to take out the bad guy without hurting the kids."  
  
"I THINK I UNDERSTAND, BUT DO HUMANS ALL USE THE SAME EXACT RECIPIES?"  
  
"Well... no. There are many variations," Papyrus' eyes lit up, "but you need to learn the basics of the recipe before you start experimenting! Once you understand what works and why, then you can begin making subtle changes. People go to school for years to reach that level of cooking expertise."  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH! GOOD THING I'M ALREADY AN EXPERT COOK!" Papyrus boasted.  
  
"... When it comes to monster cooking, yes, but you're still a novice when it comes to human cooking."  
  
"AH, YOU'RE RIGHT." Papyrus considered this for a few moments. "WOULD YOU TEACH ME HUMAN COOKING?" He seemed notably more eager to learn than he did earlier.  
  
"Hah... I'm no expert, but I can teach you some basic stuff. Maybe even get a few of those cookbooks back at my apartment and we can both learn some new recipes."  
  
"WHAT A GREAT IDEA!"  
  
With Papyrus now onboard the please-don't-burn-everything train, finishing the meal went much smoother, and it actually turned out pretty good, all things considered.  
  
"Mm... Not bad. Here, why don't you try it?"  
  
You held out a fork full of spaghetti for Papyrus to try. Rather than taking the fork from you as you expected, he simply bent down and took the bite of spaghetti from the fork. He chewed and deeply considered the dish, like a food critic at a new restaurant. Finally, he swallowed and turned his attention to you.  
  
"THIS IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I'M USED TO... BUT IT'S VERY GOOD! HUMAN COOKING IS STRANGE, BUT QUITE IMPRESSIVE IN ITS RESULTS!" He grinned.  
  
There was a loud bang coming from the living room, like someone breaking down the door. Your heart leaped into your throat.  
  
"Papyrus! Alphys said _____ never showed up for work today, and she hasn't been answering her phone! We need to-" Undyne cut off immediately upon rushing into the kitchen and spotting the two of you.  
  
You were having a serious case of déjà vu.  
  
"Seriously." Undyne deadpanned, clearly not pleased that she'd been worried over nothing. "If you were going to play hooky from work so you could hang out with Papyrus, you could have at least let us know." she scolded you as Alphys finally caught up and entered the room.  
  
"_____! Mariana told me you didn't even call out this morning. We were so worried!" Alphys was wringing her claws.  
  
"S-sorry... I guess it's just been a long night..." you glanced away, feeling guilty that your friends had worried about you and the thought had never occurred to you to call them.  
  
"Long night?" Undyne questioned, her expression started to take on a suggestive look, before she took in just how upset even mentioning last night made you. Her look darkened. "What happened last night?"  
  
You all sat down and you explained last night's events; how you'd been attacked by one of the thugs from a few months ago, how Cleo got hurt protecting you, how Sans had saved you and admitted he'd been spying on you, and finally, how Papyrus had insisted that you stay with him and his brother for now.  
  
"God damn it! I knew I should have gathered the dogs and hunted those bastards down!" Undyne snarled angrily.  
  
"LANGUAGE." Papyrus gently chastised Undyne, despite clearly agreeing with the sentiment.  
  
"My god, that's horrible!" Alphys had grabbed your hand during the retelling, though you weren't sure if it was more to comfort you, or to comfort herself with the knowledge that you were still there and alive.  
  
There was a tense silence that followed, as no one seemed entirely sure what to say. It didn't last long, however, as your stomach loudly reminded you that you still had not eaten.  
  
"Hah, sorry guys. I'm pretty hungry. We, uh, just finished making spaghetti. Did you two want some?"  
  
"WE COOKED IT IN THE HUMAN STYLE!" Papyrus chimed in.  
  
"Human style??" Undyne seemed confused by this.  
  
"YES! APPARENTLY HUMANS COOK IN A VERY DIFFERENT WAY THAN MONSTERS DO! _____ HAS OFFERED TO TEACH ME!"  
  
You shared a knowing look with Alphys, who just giggled.  
  
"Really? Hmm... Let's see how this human-cooked spaghetti tastes..." Undyne grabbed a fork from the drawer and tried a bite. "Hrm... Not bad! Maybe we'll have to make that into group lessons!"  
  
You chuckled. "Maybe. Could be fun."  
  
You each grabbed a plate of spaghetti, and a light conversation started up as you ate. Partway through, you noticed that Undyne had gone quiet, seeming to be thinking hard on some subject. It was as you and Papyrus were cleaning the dishes that Undyne finally spoke up.  
  
"You are such a weenie."  
  
"Huh?" you turned towards her, realizing that she was scrutinizing you.  
  
"I said, you're a weenie. A huge weenie. One of the biggest weenies I've ever known! Even Alphys can use her magic to defend herself in a pinch, and she hates fighting!"  
  
You scowled. "Are we going somewhere with this, or...?"  
  
"This is, what? The third time in as many months that you've been attacked and been completely unable to defend yourself?"  
  
You grimaced. It certainly seemed like you were fate's favorite punching bag at the moment.  
  
Undyne huffed in annoyance. "You're my friend now, and I won't have you going and getting yourself killed because you're as helpless as a newborn monster." You and Undyne locked eyes. "I'm going to teach you how to use your magic."  
  
"What??" you blanched. "No. Not going to happen. Humans and magic don't mix well. You know this."  
  
Papyrus and Alphys continued to watch quietly as you and Undyne stared each other down.  
  
"So, you'd rather die the next time someone decides to attack you?"  
  
"I didn't say that. I just don't want to use magic. Bad things happen to humans with magic."  
  
"In case you haven't noticed, bad things are happening whether you know how to use your magic or not." Undyne huffed angrily.  
  
"And they'll get worse with magic!" you snapped back.  
  
"You don't want to learn magic? Fine." Undyne stood from her chair and stood before you in the middle of the kitchen. "Knock me down."  
  
"What?? Why would I-"  
  
"If you refuse to learn to defend yourself with magic, than you're going to need to learn to defend yourself without it, so knock me down without magic. Go on. Do it. I won't even fight back."  
  
You blanched once again at Undyne. "I can't do that! Don't you remember when I tried to hit you in the lab? You didn't even budge!" you were utterly exasperated at this point.  
  
"Yeah, I **do** remember. Even if I trained you every day, it'd take months, maybe even years to get you fighting fit. **That's** why you need to learn **magic.** "  
  
You sputtered, "T-there are other methods of self defense... I-I mean, I could get a knife, or a can of mace, or a gun or something..."  
  
"Yeah? And if you had any of those, would they have helped you last night?"  
  
You cringed. You weren't the type that would have even considered keeping a weapon at your bedside, and with the way you'd fallen off your bed and to the floor, even if you were that type of person, you wouldn't have been able to reach it. You would have been just as helpless.  
  
Undyne took your silence as confirmation of her point. "Starting tomorrow, you're to come by our place every day for magic training. Do I make myself clear?"  
  
"Crystal..."  
  
You had a bad feeling about this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now Reader's moved in with the skelebros, one of which is her love interest, the other being the over-protective big brother. On top of that, she's got her friends determined to teach her magic so she doesn't accidentally die, which I'm SURE will go well given Reader's status as a 'total weenie'. This fic is turning into a sitcom, here.


	26. Should Have Studied for Your O.W.L.s

You fidgeted as you waited in Undyne's training room the next day after work. Your day had been fairly awkward so far, as, after Papyrus dropped you off, you found out you were the main focus of the rumor mill. It wasn't too surprising, really, given everything that had happened in the past few months. Mariana kept you up-to-date on what was being said, and you suspected that she may have helped fuel things with what she learned from you. Well, at least people weren't saying anything particularly bad about you. Well, except the whole 'she might be cursed' bit, but no one seemed to think you brought this misfortune upon yourself. Or at least no one was stupid enough to suggest it. It was funny, really. In just a few short months, you'd gone from the newbie who was barely a blip on the radar, to having everyone in the company know your name. Heck, even the president of the company, Mr. Malintowski, had sent you a flower arrangement and his condolences on your continued misfortune. That had certainly drawn attention.  
  
Now, here you were, waiting with Alphys and Papyrus while Undyne prepared the sparring area of her training room for your lessons.  
  
_"I wonder if all that padding is resistant against blood stains?"_ You wondered idly, as you thought of the last time Undyne tried to get you to use your magic. _"I-I'm sure she won't take it that far this time. Especially since that clearly didn't work."_ You grimaced slightly, not entirely confident in that thought, given Undyne's tendency to get a bit carried away.  
  
"All right, nerd! Let's get started!" Undyne announced, and you stepped forward into the sparring area. "Defend yourself!" Undyne summoned a spear and prepared to throw it, causing you to pale.  
  
"W-wait!" Alphys interrupted, much to your relief. "Don't you think we should start with the basics? I mean, _____, is new to magic. We should start by explaining what it is and how it works."  
  
"YOU MEAN LIKE THEY TEACH TO BABYBONES?" Papyrus questioned.  
  
"Well, yes. It's something all monsters are taught at a young age to help them control their magic when it manifests."  
  
"_____ isn't a kid, Alphy." Undyne stated.  
  
"I'm not, but they don't teach anything like that in human schools. It would be like me expecting you to know the significance of the Boston Tea Party with regards to U.S. history."  
  
"HUMANS HAVE A HISTORICAL TEA PARTY?"  
  
"Hah, it's not quite what it sounds like..."  
  
"Alright, alright. Fine. We'll start with the baby basics. Uh... You want to explain it, Alphy? I've always been better at the practical parts than that..."  
  
"Of course." Alphys nodded and you turned your attention to her. "Magic is a natural part of every monster's soul. When a monster's magic first manifests, it is often uncontrolled and triggered by the monster's emotions. Each monster has their own emotional trigger, and understanding what that trigger is can greatly aid in the monster learning to summon and control their magic at will. With practice, a monster can learn to prevent their magic from manifesting with that emotion, or manifest it even when that trigger is absent."  
  
"So, you need to know what emotion triggers your magic to learn to control it?" you questioned.  
  
"Well, no. For some, it's easy enough to figure out. Others, however, might never be sure what their trigger is. All the trigger does is makes it easier to learn how to summon your magic. Learning without it just takes a bit more time."  
  
"How does a monster figure out what their trigger is?"  
  
"Mostly by examining the circumstances that resulted in them accidentally using their magic, and seeing what connects them."  
  
"What were your triggers?" you asked.  
  
"Mine was ambition!" Undyne stated proudly. "I was always kind of bored and embarrassed in magic class, as I had a lot of trouble summoning my magic there. However, when I started sticking up for other monsters who were getting picked on for struggling with magic, I felt like my favorite hero, Gerson, the Hammer of Justice! It was during those fights that my magic truly showed itself, and I soon realized that it was my dream of being a hero for monsters everywhere that was triggering it!"  
  
"I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM POWERED BY FAITH!" Papyrus posed dramatically. "I WAS NOT ALWAYS THE STRONG, HANDSOME, POPULAR SKELETON YOU KNOW! IN MY YOUTH, I WAS ACTUALLY FAIRLY AWKWARD. MY MAGIC WAS AMONG THE FIRST TO MANIFEST IN MY CLASS, BUT I HAD GREAT DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING IT. MOST OF MY CLASSMATES ENDED UP AVOIDING ME, AFRAID OF BEING HURT BY MY WILD MAGIC. I WAS EVEN NEARLY REMOVED FROM CLASSES ALTOGETHER. MY BROTHER, HOWEVER, BEGAN SPENDING EVERY DAY TRAINING WITH AND ENCOURAGING ME. I WAS BEGINNING TO LOSE CONFIDENCE AS INCIDENTS KEPT OCCURRING AT SCHOOL, UNTIL MY BROTHER POINTED OUT THAT I NEVER ONCE LOST CONTROL WHILE TRAINING WITH HIM. I EVENTUALLY REALIZED THAT IT WAS BECAUSE I HAD FAITH THAT MY BROTHER WOULD NEVER BE UPSET WITH ME, EVEN IF I DID MESS UP, AND HE TOLD ME HE HAD FAITH THAT I WOULD NEVER HURT HIM, EVEN ACCIDENTALLY. IT WAS JUST THE BOOST TO MY CONFIDENCE THAT I NEEDED, AND ONCE I HAD FAITH IN MYSELF, I NEVER ACCIDENTALLY HURT ANOTHER MONSTER AGAIN!"  
  
Alphys cleared her throat, realizing it was her turn. "Um, mine is enthusiasm. I, uh, don't have any grand stories like Undyne or Papyrus do. I always really liked learning, so learning to control my magic came pretty easily to me. I'm really not that special." Alphys shrugged lamely.  
  
"Don't undersell yourself, babe! Just look at where your magic and egghead tendencies got you! You're the Royal Scientist, the envy of every other nerd out there! You're one of the most amazing people I know!" Undyne declared, causing Alphys to blush furiously and shyly try to hide her smile.  
  
"Um, a-anyway, as I was saying... Magic comes from the soul and can be triggered by emotions. Once you have an idea of what your trigger might be, you just reach down into your soul and let the magic flow out, willing it into shape. It's important not to try and force it, as that generally just makes it harder. Just relax and let it happen naturally, as it should."  
  
"Well, that's great and all, but how am I suppose to figure out my trigger based on one incident?" you asked.  
  
"What are you talking about, nerd? You've used your magic twice now." Undyne cocked an eyebrow at you.  
  
"What are **you** talking about? I've only ever used it on the night of the fair, when I Blinked away from Asgore." You wondered where Undyne got the idea that you've used magic since then.  
  
"Um... that's not quite true..." Alphys piped up. You turned your attention to her. "There was also the time you and Papyrus were attacked just outside of MEET co."  
  
You thought about this hard. "I... no I didn't." You weren't so confident. Everything during that incident happened pretty quickly, and it was a bit hazy due to your adrenaline rush, but you thought you'd remember using magic if you had. "Besides, even if I had, how would you know? You weren't there."  
  
Papyrus seemed to be considering something while Alphys and Undyne exchanged a glance, both looking fairly guilty.  
  
"Should we tell her, or...?" Undyne trailed off uncertainly.  
  
"I... I think it would be wrong not to..." Alphys replied.  
  
"Tell me what??" you were starting to become frustrated.  
  
"Well, you see, we've kind of been... monitoring you..." Alphys began.  
  
"On orders from the King." Undyne clarified, ensuring that you didn't think they took it upon themselves to spy on you, like Sans had.  
  
"Monitor me?? You weren't following me around, too, were you??"  
  
This was getting ridiculous!  
  
"N-no! Of course not! I, um, w-wrote a program that's able to track the location and some other details for any soul it's attuned to..." Alphys cringed slightly.  
  
"What other details??"  
  
"Magical output, intense emotions... D-displaying relevant camera feeds..."  
  
"It was meant as an early warning system if you turned out to be dangerous. It could be set to warn if you started using your magic, or if you went somewhere you weren't suppose to. It's, uh, why I showed up so quickly at Alphys' lab last month. The Soul Tracker she installed on my phone warned me that you were up there." Undyne admitted.  
  
"I've removed that particular warning since then..." Alphys added, shyly.  
  
"So, you made a program that's been tracking my every move for Asgore?" You weren't sure how you felt about him always knowing exactly where you were. Maybe he'd use it to avoid you. Maybe he'd use it to confront you...  
  
"W-well, sort of. King Asgore doesn't actually have a copy of the program. He's not very... technologically inclined." Alphys clarified.  
  
You were a bit relieved to hear that, but still... "So, who exactly **has** been monitoring me, then?"  
  
"Alphys, Sans, and myself all have copies of the program."  
  
You weren't terribly surprised to hear that Sans had a copy. It certainly explained how he could possibly monitor you from your roof. You sighed in annoyed resignation. So, this was apparently your life now. You reminded yourself that they never meant any harm by it, that they only did it because they were afraid of you, with good reason. It helped. A little. After taking a few minutes to absorb this knowledge, you spoke up again.  
  
"So, you said something about me using magic a second time?"  
  
"Oh! Um, yes. While you were being attacked, the Soul Tracker's magic detection went off. It was what warned me that something was wrong, and it displayed the feed from the security camera in the alley. I called security immediately and told them about the assault."  
  
"Wait... you're the reason security showed up?" you asked, a bit surprised.  
  
"Y-yes. It was all I could really do to help. I've, um... actually been working on a project to try and create an alert system that can detect and warn security guards of potential problems, since spending all day watching security feeds can get pretty boring, and it only takes a few minutes for something tragic to happen. But, uh, making something generalized is proving to be fairly tricky." Alphys explained.  
  
Papyrus, who had been quiet for a while, finally spoke up. "YOU USED YOUR MAGIC TO SHOVE ALL THOSE HUMANS OFF OF ME."  
  
You blinked at Papyrus. "Huh?"  
  
"IN THE ALLEY, WHEN I WAS PINNED TO THE GROUND... AFTER YOU SHOWED UP AND ONE OF THEM HIT ME IN THE SKULL WITH THE BRICK, I FELT SOME SORT OF MAGIC, AND THEY WERE ALL THROWN OFF ME."  
  
Now that he mentioned it, you did recall that. "He... He was going to hit you with the brick again. I was afraid he was going to kill you... Then, next thing I knew, they'd all been thrown off and you were struggling to your feet."  
  
"That's exactly what happened. You used your magic for the second time." Undyne nodded, glad to finally have that cleared up.  
  
"SO, WHAT DO THOSE TWO EVENTS HAVE IN COMMON?"  
  
"Me scared out of my wits?" you suggested.  
  
"If that's all it took, you would have used magic when I fought you last month." Undyne pointed out.  
  
"I've never heard of a monster with a negative trigger, either. I mean, it might be different for humans, but until we learn otherwise, we should assume it works the same." Alphys pointed out.  
  
"Some sort of positive emotional trigger, then?" You thought about the events, and tried to figure out something positive that connected the two, but came up empty. Finding something positive about protecting Papyrus was easy enough. You admired him very much, and the idea of wanting to protect him both physically and emotionally seemed natural. Asgore, though, was another story altogether. You could do nothing but focus on the fear and regret when you thought of him.  
  
After a bit, Undyne seemed to grow frustrated with just standing around. "Look, while it does make it easier, you don't need to know your trigger to access your magic. Just reach into your soul, and try to tap into it." She tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for you to follow her instructions, this time without the encouragement of potentially being turned into a pin-cushion.  
  
"Right..." you agreed. "Er... how exactly do I do that?" you questioned sheepishly.  
  
Undyne face-palmed. "You just... you just do it! It's not something I can really explain!"  
  
You looked to Alphys and Papyrus, but both seemed just as much at a loss of how to explain it. Apparently you were on your own with this one.  
  
You closed your eyes and tried focusing your attention inward. That always worked in the movies, right? You'd seen your soul before; it was that scarred green heart that resided in your chest. You just needed to... er... find it.  
  
...  
  
If you concentrated enough, you could almost feel your heartbeat, you thought. No! Stop focusing on your physical heart, and find your metaphysical one!  
  
...  
  
This was a lot harder than you thought. Hours passed with everyone trying their hardest to explain just how to tap into your soul, but this skill that came so naturally to monsters was not coming so naturally to you. By the time Undyne finally allowed you to call it quits, you had made absolutely no progress whatsoever.  
  
"Look, just keep practicing at home. You'll get it eventually. We'll try some more tomorrow." Undyne tried to encourage you.  
  
You weren't looking forward to more of this after work tomorrow. "Right..."  
  
"WE COULD STOP BY YOUR APARTMENT AND GET MORE OF YOUR THINGS ON THE WAY HOME. MAYBE MARGE'S NOTES WILL HAVE SOME TIPS ON USING YOUR MAGIC?" Papyrus suggested.  
  
"Oh! Now that you mention it, I do remember seeing a section on magic when you showed me her notes!" Alphys piped up excitedly.  
  
You remembered, now. You had been avoiding that section after you transcribed it because you didn't want to learn magic. Now that you'd been strong-armed into it, though, you supposed you could review what Marge had written. "Sounds like as good a plan as any. I need to pick up more of my things, anyway, and then we can go get Cleo from the vet's on the way back."  
  
With that settled, you and Papyrus headed out. Hopefully tomorrow would be a more productive day.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Cleo was a furry ball of fury when you got her back. She was not happy, and she was intent on letting EVERYONE know. The vet staff seemed a little anxious when you came to pick her up, and she was growling up a storm when you approached the cage where she was resting, hind leg set in a cast and cone of shame adding to her rage. One brave vet tech approached with thick gloves protecting his hands, ready to pull her from the corner where she was huddled, but you waved him off. You picked up the carrier and placed it in the cage with her, door open. She hissed at the movement, but then quickly recognized the familiar object and darted inside of her own volition, to everyone's relief.  
  
You were given a prescription of painkillers and antibiotics, as well as information of how to care for her, potential problems to watch out for, recommended foods to ensure she got the proper nutrition she needed to heal, etc. You also set-up her follow up visit, and worked out a payment plan that only caused you to mostly cringe at the price, but she was worth it.  
  
When you got back to the skeleton brother's home, Sans had peeked inside the carrier and received an angry snarl. You decided pretty quickly that, for everyone's sake, you were going to keep her confined to the guest bedroom, and brought her upstairs before letting her out of the carrier. It took a while for her to venture out, but she did eventually start exploring the room, and wound up settling uneasily on the old pillow surrounded by cat toys you'd picked up from your apartment tonight to give her something with the scent of home to help ease her nerves.  
  
You, meanwhile, put away the rest of your clothes, DVDs, games, books, and then set up your computer on the desk. You had debated if you should bother bringing all these things with you. After all, your stay with the brothers was only temporary, right? When you'd asked Papyrus for his opinion, he had gotten pretty weird and emphasized that there was no hurry for you to return to your apartment. Where you'd be living alone. Without him there to make sure you were okay. He had then begun scouring your apartment for 'things you can't live without' and you'd had to put your foot down before he tried to load everything you owned into his car.  
  
You opened up your documents and began browsing Marge's notes on magic. You weren't sure whether to laugh or cry, but Marge's own advice lined up pretty well with the advice your friends had been giving you all evening.  
  
_"Ugh. Reach inside you, let the magic flow naturally, bend it to your will, do not try to force it, blah blah blah. The only thing different is that Marge doesn't say anything about emotional triggers, but suggests hand gestures help when learning to form the magic into a barrier. Not that that helps me, since I can't seem to access the magic in the first place."_ You grouched to yourself.  
  
You became even more annoyed when she suggested practicing the meditation technique would make accessing magic even easier.  
  
_"I can do the meditation thing, but that didn't stop me from wasting everyone's time tonight!"_  
  
You tried thinking of the memories of Asgore teaching Moira magic. He had repeatedly told her to relax herself, to stop thinking so hard and just allow herself to feel. Maybe that was your problem? You were thinking about it too hard.  
  
You pushed out your chair and headed downstairs for a snack.  
  
"_____! DID YOU LEARN ANYTHING FROM MARGE'S NOTES?" Papyrus asked from his position on the couch.  
  
"Not really. I think I'm just thinking about it too hard." you shrugged.  
  
"THAT COULD BE IT. WOULD YOU LIKE TO WATCH METTATON'S NEW SHOW WITH ME?"  
  
"Sure. Just let me get something to eat, first." You walked into the kitchen and opened up the fridge. You'd brought the food you had at your apartment, so there was more variety now. You were just pulling out a pitcher of lemonade when you realized the leftover spaghetti you'd made with Papyrus yesterday was missing.  
  
"Hmm..."  
  
"somethin' interesting in there?"  
  
You jumped a bit at Sans' voice, and turned to find him seated at the table. Had he been there when you walked in? In front of him was the leftover spaghetti, and you noted that it was not covered in ketchup like Papyrus said he preferred it. He did, however, take a swig of the bottle of ketchup sitting next to it. Gross.  
  
"I was just wondering where the spaghetti we made yesterday went."  
  
"you're too late. you won't spa **ghet** ti your hands on the rest of this batch." Sans took a big bite for emphasis. "guess you'll just have to make more." he winked.  
  
"Hmph. Maybe I should just let Papyrus make it his way next time." you challenged.  
  
"sure. my bro's cooking is pretty powerful. i'm sure he'd be happy to hear how excited you are to have it again, and now that you're living here, you'd have no excuse not to have dinner with us, and help work through the leftovers." Sans gave you a darkly mischievous look.  
  
"Oooor I could teach him some new recipes. The spaghetti was a good start, but he has a lot to learn about human cooking." You decided that pushing Sans was probably a bad idea.  
  
"i'll bet my bro's **soup** er excited to learn. just don't set the **steaks** too high, yet." Sans grinned.  
  
"SANS! I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU JUST SAID, BUT I CAN PRACTICALLY FEEL YOU PUNNING FROM IN HERE!"  
  
Sans chuckled before taking another bite of the spaghetti. You shook your head in exasperation and amusement before opening up a cabinet and pulling out a bag of microwave popcorn. Once the microwave was going, Sans spoke up again.  
  
"so, i hear undyne's trying to teach you how to use magic."  
  
You grimaced. "Yeah..."  
  
"you don't seem too excited about that." Sans examined you curiously.  
  
"I'm not." You didn't really want to talk about this. You were still worried that knowing magic would cause more harm than good, and on top of that, you felt like you'd wasted everyone's time and made a fool of yourself today. Some powerful mage you were.  
  
Sans watched the emotions flit across your face and soul. Given the popularity of super heroes, he'd kind of expected you to be eager to learn magic. Instead, you seemed to be dreading it. He briefly wondered why, but didn't have time to ask as you pulled your bag of popcorn from the microwave, grabbed the glasses of lemonade you'd poured for yourself and Papyrus, and headed back into the living room.  
  
You sat down next to Papyrus after handing him his own glass of lemonade. Papyrus noticed your mood, but said nothing, thankfully. All you wanted to do was relax and just forget about your problems for a while, and watching Mettaton ham it up was a great way to do just that. By the time you were ready to head off to bed, you felt much better. Hopefully tomorrow would be a better day.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Your daily magic lessons at Undyne's didn't last long. By the end of the first week, it was decided that they'd given you all the advice they could, but until you could actually tap into your magic you wouldn't be able to proceed with further lessons.  
  
"Don't think this means you can slack off with your training, though!" Undyne emphasized. "You still better be practicing every day, and when you finally make that breakthrough, I want you back here right away!"  
  
"and don't think you can **fibula** about how much you're practicing. trust me, undyne can **patella** when you do, and you really don't want her to have a **bone** to pick with you." Sans winked at you from where he was lounging in a nearby chair, lazily spinning a magically conjured bone. He started attending your magic lessons on the second day. He always seemed to have some snide, pun-filled commentary to make. It was like having your own personal Statler and Waldorf rolled into one lazy heckler.  
  
You glared at Sans. This was hardly the worst comment from him, but after a week of snark and him showing off his magic, you were more than a little bit agitated. He certainly seemed to be getting some sort of sadistic glee from watching you struggle. You supposed it made sense, since he had made it clear to you that he was just as uneasy as you were about you learning magic.  
  
"SANS!" Papyrus scolded him again. "IT'S NO WONDER _____ IS STRUGGLING WITH YOU CONSTANTLY DISTRACTING HER WITH YOUR TERRIBLE PUNS! FOR THAT REASON, YOU ARE BANNED FROM OUR NIGHTLY TRAINING SESSIONS UNTIL _____ CAN ACCESS HER MAGIC!"  
  
_"Nightly training sessions? Oh, goody..."_ you grimaced. You should have known that Papyrus would take it upon himself to make sure you practiced.  
  
"Anyway, if we're done for now, I think I'm going to head out. See you later, guys." You walked out of the training room, and Papyrus quickly followed behind you.  
  
You had carpooled here with Papyrus, who had insisted that it was simpler if he dropped you off at work, then picked you up afterwards to go straight to your magic lessons. You didn't really understand how him going out of his way to do this was simpler, but he'd seemed fairly set on it, so you had agreed.  
  
"DON'T WORRY, _____! EVERYBODY STRUGGLES AT FIRST! ... WELL, MAYBE NOT EVERYBODY... BUT IT IS STILL QUITE COMMON!" Papyrus tried to reassure you again.  
  
"I know, Pap." It was kind of funny how irritating constant encouragement was when you were making absolutely zero progress and just wanted to quit. You felt like you were wasting everyone's time, and were little more than a disappointment.  
  
The ride home was a bit awkward, but thankfully Undyne and Alphys lived fairly close-by, so you didn't have long to dwell on it.  
  
"WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP ME MAKE DINNER?" Papyrus invited.  
  
"Not tonight, Paps. I have a few things I wanted to do. Why don't you try following one of the recipes in the cookbook alone? It'll be a good test of what you've learned so far."  
  
Papyrus seemed a bit disappointed by this answer, but then quickly covered it up. "I ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE! I WILL PREPARE A CULINARY MASTERPIECE WORTHY OF MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS! I WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN IT IS READY!"  
  
You nodded and headed up to your room. You weren't entirely sure he was ready to cook unsupervised yet, as you still had to steer him away from the occasional strange substitution, but you'd also recently emphasized that following a recipe was like following a battle plan: it was important for the safety of everyone involved that you do not deviate from the plan unless instructed otherwise by a superior. You were at least reasonably confident that he could turn out something technically edible by this point, at least.  
  
In truth, you mostly just wanted some alone time. You barely had a moment to yourself since you moved in, and it was beginning to wear on you a little. Keeping up with Papyrus' energy and enthusiasm had always been an exhausting affair, after all.  
  
You headed up to your room and decided to use this time to try and come up with some ideas of what you wanted to get everyone for Christmas. With the holiday only a few weeks away, and you having so many new friends to shop for, having some idea of what you would be looking for was practically essential. You briefly cringed as you thought of just how much money this was going to cost you.  
  
_"Well, so much for being able to save up more money now that I'm not working for minimum wage. My friends are worth it, though."_  
  
You had a list of everyone you needed to buy presents for, and a few gift ideas for most of them by the time Papyrus called you down for dinner. Sans, who had gotten home at some point without you noticing (as usual), was already waiting at the dinner table when you got downstairs. Dinner turned out to be some baked chicken breasts, seasoned mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. The chicken was half-moist, half-dry as Papyrus had forgotten to turn the pieces over halfway through cooking, the vegetables were over-cooked to the point of being mushy, but the mashed potatoes were pretty well seasoned as well as light and fluffy without a single lump to be found. Papyrus' prior experience with mashing produce into paste served him well, there.  
  
"SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK?" Papyrus asked eagerly.  
  
"It could use a few tweaks here and there, but this is a good start! I'm proud of you, Papyrus!" you smiled at him genuinely.  
  
"yeah, **bro-ccoli** , your cooking is the **breast**."  
  
"UGH!" Despite his standard protest at the puns, Papyrus couldn't keep the proud smile off his face.  
  
Regardless of all the crap Sans had been giving you at your lessons with Undyne, he gave you a slight, seemingly genuine, smile at seeing how happy and proud his brother was of his progress with 'human cooking'. You couldn't help but smile in return, your own mood buoyed by Papyrus' enthusiasm for the rest of the evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that title is a Harry Potter reference because I'm a huge nerd, thank you.
> 
> I warned you guys not to underestimate Reader's potential to be a weenie. (You shouldn't be surprised that I didn't let her learn magic that easily, anyway.) Of course, things are a bit stressful for Reader right now, so I suppose we should cut her some slack. Just give it time, Reader. You'll get it eventually.


	27. Breaking Point

The bell on the door jingled as you walked into the corner market. The shop was just a couple blocks from the skeleton brothers' home, so you'd decided it would be good to simply walk there when you realized that you were out of bread. Your uneasiness in dealing with monsters, while not gone, was greatly muted these days. Realizing that your fear had stemmed from guilt over your own actions had helped you deal with it, and the fact that you had several monster friends who knew of, and were able to look past your previous life's actions gave you confidence.  
  
"Mornin'." The bunny shopkeeper greeted you somewhat curtly.  
  
You noticed she was giving you an oddly suspicious look, and felt yourself tense.  
  
_"Why is she looking at me like that??"_  
  
That's when you noticed that half of the glass display up front was boarded over.  
  
"What happened to your display?" you asked.  
  
"Some humans who were none too fond of monsters decided to make a mess 'a my store. Not sure what they expected walkin' into a shop in Monstertown."  
  
You cringed. "That's horrible! Was anybody hurt?"  
  
The shopkeeper's suspicious gaze softened at your genuine concern. "Nah. Didn't go that far, thankfully."  
  
"Some people are unbelievable. Were they arrested?"  
  
"They took off before the police could arrive. 'Course, they still had plenty of time to cause damage since crimes against monsters aren't exactly a priority."  
  
"Ugh. That's just not right." you grimaced.  
  
"So, what can I get for ya?"  
  
"I need bread. ... Oh! What are these?" You looked at some bunny-shaped rolls in the intact part of the display case.  
  
"Those are Cinnamon Bunnies. They're my special recipe cinnamon rolls, freshly baked each mornin'. These ones should still be warm, too."  
  
_"Ooh... warm, gooey cinnamon rolls in adorable bunny shapes..."_  
  
You were practically drooling. You and the shop keeper were startled as the door slammed open.  
  
"_____!!" Papyrus shouted your name as he crashed through the door, knocking the bell loose, before he grabbed you up into a tight hug.  
  
"Agh, Papyrus! What are you-"  
  
"I WAS SO WORRIED WHEN I NOTICED YOU WERE GONE THIS MORNING! I THOUGHT SOMEONE HAD KIDNAPPED YOU! THANKFULLY, THE NEIGHBORS HAD SEEN YOU COMING THIS WAY!"  
  
"I-I'm fine Paps. I just came to pick up some bread. It's not a big deal."  
  
"NOT A BIG DEAL?! WHAT IF YOU HAD BEEN ATTACKED AGAIN?!"  
  
"I don't think I'm likely to get attacked in the middle of the street in broad dayl-"  
  
"I MEAN, JUST LOOK AT THIS PLACE! THAT DISPLAY IS BENT, THE GLASS CASE IS BROKEN, AND EVEN THE DOOR IS BARELY HANGING ON ITS HINGES!"  
  
"Actually, the door was fine 'til you burst through it." The shopkeeper spoke up, giving Papyrus a pointed look.  
  
"NYEH??" Papyrus glanced at the shopkeeper in confusion before returning his gaze to the door, flushing in embarrassment as the damage he'd caused sunk in. "WOWIE... I AM VERY SORRY ABOUT THAT. I DID NOT MEAN TO DAMAGE YOUR DOOR..."  
  
The shopkeeper sighed. She couldn't be too mad at Papyrus. He was one of her best customers after all, and she knew he never meant any harm. "You could try fixin' it if you want to make it up to me. My bills are high enough without tryin' to heat the outdoors because my door is busted."  
  
"DO NOT WORRY! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL HAVE THIS DOOR FIXED IN NO TIME!"  
  
With a few tools provided by the shopkeeper, Papyrus set to work fixing the door.  
  
"Do you want me to help?" you asked.  
  
"THANK YOU FOR THE OFFER, BUT SINCE I AM THE ONE WHO BROKE THE DOOR, IT SHOULD BE I WHO FIXES IT."  
  
"Well... Alright. Just let me know if you need some help."  
  
You decided to browse the other wares in the shop while you waited for Papyrus to finish. It wasn't long before the shopkeeper sidled up to you so she could speak more privately.  
  
"So, you're friends with Papyrus?" she asked curiously.  
  
"Yeah. I met him nearly a year ago in an Italian restaurant." you nodded.  
  
"Haha! With how much pasta he buys, that doesn't surprise me." she chuckled. "'Though I can't say I've seen him knock down any doors while searching for someone. You must be pretty important to him for him to lose his self control like that." she cocked an eyebrow at you.  
  
"Hah... Well, I didn't expect him to get so worked up over me making a trip to the store, but I've had a few nasty run-ins of my own over the past few months, so I guess I can understand why he'd worry."  
  
The shopkeeper nodded in understanding. "I gathered as much. You the human that recently moved in with the brothers?" She asked.  
  
"Er, um... yes." You were surprised she knew about that.  
  
The look on your face must have been pretty obvious. "Haha! News spreads pretty fast here in Monstertown. Well, it's nice to meet you, _____. My name's Bella."  
  
"It's nice to meet you, too." You smiled shyly in return.  
  
Your conversation was interrupted as Papyrus spoke up: "THERE! ALL FIXED!"  
  
The two of you looked over as he demonstrated that the door once again was able to open and close. He'd even fixed the bell at the top.  
  
"Thank you, Papyrus." The shopkeeper smiled warmly at him, causing Papyrus to 'nyeh' happily.  
  
"Well, since that's done, I guess I should make my purchase. I'll take a loaf of bread and three cinnamon bunnies, please."  
  
"No problem." the shopkeeper stepped behind the counter and bagged up your order. "Here you go."  
  
"W-wait! I only asked for three cinnamon bunnies!" You stopped her as she placed a fourth one in the bag.  
  
Bella smiled at you. "Fourth one's on the house. Think of it as my way of saying 'welcome to the neighborhood.'"  
  
"I... Well, thank you!"  
  
With your groceries paid for, you and Papyrus left and headed home.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The weekend had arrived, and you decided to take advantage of your time off to do the Christmas shopping you'd been neglecting.  
  
"_____!!" Papyrus shouted and whipped out the front door, nearly slipping on a patch of ice in his haste.  
  
You paused your action of getting into your car.  
  
"What is it, Papyrus?"  
  
"WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!" he seemed worried for some reason.  
  
"I was going to head to the mall and do my Christmas shopping." You gave him a curious look, still not sure what had him all riled up.  
  
"I SHALL ACCOMPANY YOU!" he started to walk around your car to get into the passenger side before waiting for a response.  
  
"Paps, you don't even have any shoes on! And besides, it'll be hard to shop for you if you're there."  
  
"NYEH?" Papyrus glanced down and realized you were right. He was, in fact, barefoot. "WHOOPSY DOOPSY! GIVE ME A MOMENT TO GRAB MY BOOTS!"  
  
"Papyrus, I said I can't-" You were promptly ignored as he rushed inside to grab his boots.  
  
You huffed in annoyance. Papyrus had become unusually pushy lately. You decided it wasn't worth fighting over, however. Maybe he'd have some other suggestions for your mutual friends that you hadn't thought of? You were drawing a bit of a blank for what to get Undyne, after all.  
  
It didn't take him long to return and hop into the passenger side of your car. The drive was quiet and awkward, and it was a bit of a relief once the two of you got to the mall and you actually began shopping. Papyrus was happy to offer his own thoughts and suggestions on what you should buy.  
  
"YOU SHOULD GET UNDYNE A BONE!"  
  
"A bone??"  
  
"YES! THEY MAKE GREAT GIFTS! I GET THEM FOR HER ALL THE TIME, AND SHE LOVES THEM!"  
  
You eyed Papyrus curiously, and strongly suspected that Undyne wasn't nearly as enthusiastic about bones as Papyrus seemed to think. "I, uh, think I'll pass on that idea for now, but thanks for the suggestion."  
  
"NYEH HEH! YOU'RE WELCOME! I HAVE MANY OTHER GREAT IDEAS TO OFFER! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING FRISK?"  
  
You paused and looked at him, confused. "Uh, I hadn't really thought of getting them anything... I mean, I haven't actually seen them since the fair..."  
  
"BUT YOU'LL BE SEEING THEM AGAIN AT THE PARTY, WON'T YOU?"  
  
You blinked in surprise. You'd almost forgotten about the Christmas party Papyrus was hosting, and now that you were living with the skeleton brothers, of course he would assume...  
  
"I, uh... I was thinking of spending Christmas with my family, actually..." It was true, of course. Despite Alphys and Undyne's encouragement, there was still the fact that you always spent Christmas with your family. Even moving out hadn't changed that, as you always headed back home on Christmas Eve so you'd be there on Christmas Day to open gifts and just spend time with them.  
  
"OH." Papyrus felt a bit conflicted. On the one hand, he was disappointed that you wouldn't be attending the party. On the other hand, he understood the importance of family, and he certainly didn't blame you for wanting to spend the holiday with them. Then, a solution hit him: "NYEH! YOU SHOULD INVITE THEM TO THE PARTY!"  
  
"What??" The thought hadn't actually occurred to you.  
  
"YOU'VE TOLD ME SO MUCH ABOUT YOUR FAMILY, I'D LOVE TO MEET THEM! IT WOULD BE FUN!" Papyrus grinned.  
  
You weren't so sure that was a good idea. There were still plenty of things you hadn't told your family, such as the whole reincarnation business, the fact that Undyne had nearly killed you, or the full details of you being attacked in your apartment... You'd told them a burglar broke in, but had been stopped by a friend, and now you were living with a couple friends instead of alone. Your mother had been freaked out enough by that version of the tale, you didn't want her to accidentally learn that the 'burglar' had actually intended to rape and kill you, and that the 'friend' who saved you had coincidentally been stalking you at the time.  
  
"I'll, uh, ask them. No guarantees, though, Paps."  
  
That seemed to satisfy him, and the two of you continued shopping.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
While you'd gotten a decent chunk of your shopping done, buying a gift for Papyrus was proving impossible, as he was sticking to your side more firmly than if he'd been super-glued there. Hell, he'd almost followed you into the bathroom!  
  
"Seriously, Paps, I think I'll be fine peeing by myself," you told him firmly.  
  
"BUT-"  
  
"No, buts! Wait out here!" you put your foot down. He wilted a bit, but didn't try to follow you in again.  
  
You emerged a few minutes later, grimacing and gasping for breath after finally exiting.  
  
"OH NO! WHAT'S WRONG?! WERE YOU ATTACKED?!" Papyrus looked about ready to charge into the ladies room and confront your 'attacker'.  
  
"What's wrong is just how **disgusting** some people are. Is it seriously so hard to shi-er, poop, **in** the toilet? Trust me, you don't want to go in there."  
  
"SO YOU ARE ALRIGHT?"  
  
"A bit mentally scarred, but nothing I haven't been the unfortunate witness to before," you reassured him. Sort of.  
  
"NYEH..." You'd told Papyrus enough horror stories about public restrooms and basic facts about the human digestive system that he knew better than to question your warning. He'd never understand why humans kept up such gross habits.  
  
"So, Paps, would you take these bags to the car? I've just got one or two more things to pick up today, and I'll be right there." Specifically, you needed to get a gift for him.  
  
"ABSOLUTELY NOT." Papyrus stated simply and firmly.  
  
"....What? Why not?" You were slightly taken aback. Papyrus was always happy to help, so why was he refusing now?  
  
"DON'T YOU REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I DID THAT? YOU WERE INCONSOLABLE FOR A WEEK! AND THEN WE BOTH GOT HURT! I'M NOT LEAVING YOU ALONE HERE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN AGAIN!"  
  
Well, that certainly explained some things. "Papyrus, it was a onetime thing. It's not going to happen again, and I really need to do some shopping without you looking over my shoulder," you tried to gently explain, but Papyrus was having none of it.  
  
"I'M SORRY, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THAT RISK."  
  
You smacked your palm to your face. It was very sweet of him to be looking out for you like this, but it was also incredibly inconvenient and annoying.  
  
"Look, I don't think I'm going to finish my shopping today, anyway. What if I brought Alphys or Undyne along with me next time? Would you stay behind then?"  
  
"NYEH..." Papyrus seemed to contemplate this a bit. "ALPHYS IS NOT WELL SUITED TO PROTECT YOU, GIVEN HER AVERSION TO FIGHTING... BUT UNDYNE IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST PEOPLE I KNOW... I SUPPOSE YOU WOULD BE SAFE WITH HER..." He still didn't seem to like the idea much, though.  
  
"Then it's settled!" You pushed before he could think of some reason to object. "I just need to figure out a gift for Undyne, than, so that I don't have to worry about her gift on my next trip."  
  
...  
  
You hemmed and hawed a bit over what to get her, but, as Papyrus rattled off a list of Undyne's interests and hobbies, inspiration struck:  
  
"... WRESTLING, WEAPONS OF RIDICULOUS PROPORTIONS, COOKING, PLAYING PIANO-"  
  
"Wait, Undyne plays the piano?"  
  
"YES. SHE'S VERY GOOD AT IT, BUT CAN BE PRETTY SHY AND MODEST ABOUT PLAYING FOR PEOPLE."  
  
"Then, maybe..." You quickly lead Papyrus into a store and began searching through the book selections. "Come on... Please still be here... Ah hah!" You pulled out a book off the shelf triumphantly.  
  
Papyrus examined the book as you held it up for him. "THE PIANO SOLO OTAKU... WHAT IS THIS?"  
  
You grinned. "It's piano sheet music for various anime theme songs! I remembered seeing it here and thinking it was cool, but I don't know how to play piano. Undyne, however..."  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH! I BET SHE'LL LOVE THAT!" Papyrus returned your triumphant grin.  
  
The gift decided, you made your purchase and the two of you headed home.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Undyne was more than happy to go shopping with you the next day, especially since she still had a lot of shopping of her own to do.  
  
"Thanks for coming with me, Undyne. Papyrus was pretty insistent that I not go alone. He's been pretty clingy lately, and barely agreed to having you come with me instead." you harrumphed.  
  
"Barely agreed?! I know he's being protective, but that's just insulting that he doubted my ability to protect you for even a moment! Looks like I'm going to have to double-down on that punk's training. That'll show him just who's fit to protect who." Undyne grumped.  
  
"Hah... Well, anyway, I'm hoping I can finish my shopping today. I've mostly got the people who are toughest to buy for left."  
  
Undyne nodded as she pulled into a parking space. "Yeah, I hate shopping. Let's get this done quick so both of us can stop worrying about it!"  
  
"Sounds good to me." you smiled.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
It took a few hours, but both you and Undyne managed to finish your Christmas shopping. Your phone buzzed as Undyne was driving you home, and you looked at it expecting it to be yet another text from Papyrus. It wasn't.  
  
"Ugh... Just great..." you grimaced at the message.  
  
"What's wrong?" Undyne asked.  
  
"It's time to give Cleo her medicine."  
  
"Your cat? What's the big deal?"  
  
"She really hates to take the stuff. It's a struggle every single time. And lately she's been getting out of my room, so that means I'm going to have to track her down and catch her first."  
  
"Hah! How could it possibly be that bad? She has a broken leg, doesn't she?"  
  
"She's surprisingly agile for only having three fully functional legs... It took the three of us an hour to corral her last night..."  
  
"What?? Really??"  
  
"Well, more like the two of us. Sans gave up the pretense of trying to help after the first 5 minutes."  
  
"I'm surprised he tried for that long." Undyne snorted in amusement.  
  
Undyne pulled into the driveway and helped you gather your bags.  
  
"Why don't I give you a hand with rounding up your cat?" Undyne offered.  
  
"That might not be such a good idea... she gets kind of irritable with strangers..."  
  
"Ah, come on, punk! I think I can handle one measly cat!"  
  
You just shook your head in exasperation, knowing she wasn't likely to be deterred.  
  
"Don't say I didn't warn you."  
  
The two of you headed inside.  
  
"I'm back!" You called out, and heard the sounds of Papyrus making dinner in the kitchen.  
  
"WELCOME HOME!" He called out to you.  
  
"Warning you now, it's time for Cleo's medicine."  
  
"UH-OH... DO YOU WANT ME TO HELP?"  
  
"Nah. Undyne's volunteered as tribute today."  
  
"I volunteered as what now?" Undyne asked, confused.  
  
"Tribute. It's a Hunger Games reference." You shrugged. You'd have to show her that movie some time. For now, the important part was finding Cleo.  
  
You and Undyne went to drop your bags off in your room, and you started upon finding Sans lounging on your bed.  
  
"Sans! What are you doing in here?!" You snapped, none-too-happy that he'd invited himself in without your permission.  
  
"taking a nap. what's it look like?" Sans cracked an eye open to gaze at you.  
  
"Yes, but why are you in MY room?" you growled.  
  
"because your hell beast has taken over mine."  
  
Undyne raised a skeptical brow at this.  
  
"Again?" you sighed in exasperation.  
  
"What do you mean, **again**?" Undyne questioned.  
  
"Cleo got into Sans' room the other day, and refused to let him near the door. I found them glaring at each other, and had to physically remove her to end it." You explained.  
  
"HAHAHAHA! You intimidated by a little pussy cat, Sans?" Undyne mocked him.  
  
Sans kept his gaze even. "why don't you see how you fare with that demon?"  
  
Undyne scoffed. "Come on, _____! Let's show him how it's done!"  
  
You simply shook your head, sensing the impending doom.  
  
The two of you made your way over to Sans' room, which had its door left ajar for once. You entered, and found Cleo fast asleep on Sans' bed. That, however, did not last long, as she startled awake at your approach. Maybe she realized what time it was, or maybe she just picked up on your tension, but either way, she seemed to realize what was coming next and immediately bolted, managing to dodge past both you and Undyne to get through the door.  
  
"Damn! You weren't kidding about her being fast for a cat with three legs!" Undyne stated, impressed.  
  
"Ugh. Here we go again..."  
  
It took the two of you 30 minutes and several scratches later to finally catch Cleo. Sans, of course, opted to simply watch the two of you struggle, and you had to tell Papyrus several times to worry about cooking and leave the cat wrangling to you. It might not have taken so long if you weren't so concerned with causing her further injury.  
  
"Finally..." Undyne growled as you wrangled a hissing, growling Cleo.  
  
"hey, are you ted nugent?" Sans asked Undyne from his position lazing on the couch, as she was examining her latest wounds.  
  
"Huh??" She looked up at him, confused.  
  
"'cause it looks like you've got **cat scratch fever.** " Sans winked.  
  
Undyne scowled at him, and you rolled your eyes.  
  
"Undyne, could you go get Cleo's meds? They should be on the bureau in my room."  
  
"here." Sans reached into his pocket, then tossed a bottle to Undyne. It was Cleo's medicine. "don't say i never help."  
  
Undyne opened the bottle and popped out a tiny little pill.  
  
"Okay, now listen carefully. Cleo hates taking her medicine, and I don't have enough arms to hold her in place so she doesn't hurt herself or others, AND give her the medicine. So, what I need you to do is gently pry her jaws open, slide the pill to the back of her throat, and then carefully hold her jaws shut until she swallows it."  
  
"You want me stick my fingers in **her** mouth?" Undyne asked you incredulously, gesturing to your very agitated cat.  
  
Sans' snickering caused Undyne to steel her resolve. "Here goes nothing."  
  
You watched as Undyne carefully followed your instructions. Thankfully, Cleo seemed to want this over with just as much as everyone else, and swallowed the pill quickly. The second your hands released her, she twisted and snapped her jaws at you in displeasure before running off.  
  
"Shit! She bit you! Are you alright?" Undyne asked in concern.  
  
"I'm fine. See?" You hadn't even flinched when Cleo lashed out at you, and you raised your arm to show Undyne why. There were four indents where her canine teeth had made contact, but that was it. None of them had broken the skin. "Despite her attitude, she doesn't really bite me. Just enough contact to let me know she's angry, but not enough to hurt me."  
  
"Hah, I thought for sure you'd be bleeding all over the place." Undyne chuckled, and you joined in.  
  
Papyrus stepped out of the kitchen. "DINNER IS READY! WILL YOU BE EATING WITH US TONIGHT, UNDYNE?"  
  
"Thanks for the offer, but I was just about to head home and cook dinner with Alphys." Her face softened a bit at the thought of spending some quality time cooking with her girlfriend.  
  
"Thanks for helping with Cleo, Undyne."  
  
"Not a problem, punk. Told you I could handle it." she smirked.  
  
You all bid your farewells to Undyne, and she headed home.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
It was a week and a half before Christmas, and you were in foul mood as you entered the break room with Alphys and Mariana.  
  
"You seem grumpy today. Trouble in paradise?" Mariana asked you as you all sat down for lunch. You gave her a withering glare for her choice of phrase.  
  
"What's wrong, _____?" Alphys asked, concerned.  
  
"Papyrus has been driving me absolutely crazy lately. The only time I get to myself is when I'm asleep, and even then I think he's been checking in on me, as Cleo somehow managed to get out in the middle of the night last night." you grouched.  
  
"It can't be THAT bad, can it?" Mariana asked, skeptically.  
  
"I wish it was an exaggeration." You grumbled.  
  
"I saw him drop you off this morning. I thought he was only doing that when you were coming to our house together right after work?" Alphys asked.  
  
"That's what I thought, too, but he's still insisting on dropping me off and picking me up from work, despite the fact that I have a perfectly fine working car and that it would be more efficient for me to drive myself."  
  
"That's a little weird." Mariana commented.  
  
"That's not the only thing, either. He doesn't let me leave the house without either him or Undyne with me."  
  
"Is that why you begged Undyne to go clothing shopping with you last weekend?" Alphys asked.  
  
"Yes. There was no way in hell I was letting Papyrus come with me while I shopped for underwear."  
  
"Oh my god! I would have paid to see that!" Mariana laughed. "You could have let him pick out some nice lingerie for you to wear." She grinned mischievously.  
  
"Hmph. Undyne already tried that. Alphys, can you tell her again that I'm sorry for snapping at her? With everything that's happened lately, I lost my cool when I shouldn't have."  
  
"Don't worry about it, _____. Undyne's not mad at you." Alphys reassured you.  
  
"My patience has been wearing so thin lately. I mean, I can't even get a moment to myself at home."  
  
"Why don't you just lock yourself in your room?" Mariana suggested.  
  
"I've tried that, but Papyrus always finds some reason to check in on me. 'Are you thirsty?', 'Are you hungry?', 'Do you want to help me make dinner?', 'Do you want to watch TV with me?', 'Let's play a board game!', 'I've got to show you this cat video I found on the internet!', 'Cleo is staring down Sans again!' It's just never ending!" you whined.  
  
"Have you tried talking to him about it?" Alphys asked.  
  
"I have, but he doesn't seem to want to listen." you sighed in frustration.  
  
"That's rough. Sounds like he's acting like a helicopter parent." Mariana commented, taking a sip of her drink.  
  
"Hah. Maybe I should start calling him 'dad'." you joked.  
  
"Kinky." Mariana waggled her eyebrows at you.  
  
"I regret my decision to make that joke." you cringed.  
  
"You should try talking to him again. Let him know how upset this is making you. Papyrus is a good person, I'm sure he'll understand." Alphys pushed.  
  
"I certainly hope so." you sighed.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
It was movie night, and Undyne and Alphys had come over, bringing with them a variety of snacks. You, Alphys, and Sans were seated on and near the couch as Undyne laid out the snacks on the coffee table, and Papyrus got the TV and surround sound ready for the movie.  
  
You had tried talking to Papyrus about his hovering, but it had been a bust. No matter how you tried to explain that he was being over-protective, he just didn't seem to get it. You were nearing the end of your rope. Perhaps you were being too gentle? You needed to put your foot down and tell him how things were going to be.  
  
"by the way, paps, we're getting pretty low on ketchup. you mind picking some up at the store next time you're there?" Sans spoke up.  
  
"OF COURSE. I'LL DO IT ON MONDAY AFTER I DROP _____ OFF AT WORK. IT'LL SAVE ON GAS THAT WAY." Papyrus responded, not even looking up from fiddling with the electronics.  
  
"You don't need to drive me to and from work, Paps. It would save you a lot of time and money if I just took my own car." you pointed out.  
  
"I DO NOT MIND DRIVING YOU."  
  
"I didn't ask if you MINDED. That's not the point. The point is that it's a waste of gas and time having you drive me to and from work when I can just take my own car."  
  
Papyrus had stopped what he was doing and was now looking at you in concern. "BUT WHAT IF YOUR CAR BREAKS DOWN? OR SOMEONE BOTHERS YOU? OR-"  
  
"That's what having a cell phone is for, Paps. If I need help with anything, I'll call AAA or the police or something."  
  
"I could pick her up on my way, if you like. It wouldn't be a big detour in my route to and from work." Alphys offered.  
  
"NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT. IT IS BETTER IF I DRIVE _____, MYSELF." Papyrus stated resolutely.  
  
You let out a frustrated noise. Papyrus just wasn't listening.  
  
"This is not up for debate, Papyrus. I'm driving myself to work." you told him firmly, in no mood to argue with him further on this.  
  
"DON'T BE RIDICULOUS, I'M NOT GOING TO LET-"  
  
"Don't be ridiculous?! You're saying I'm the one being ridiculous?!" you could feel the last shred of your patience snap. "I'm not the one who's spending every waking moment tracking my every move in a paranoid fit of over-protectiveness!" you growled.  
  
"I-I'M NOT BEING PARANOID-"  
  
"Yes, you are! It's bad enough that you ALWAYS have to be around whenever I leave the house, but you won't even let me have time to myself **INSIDE**!" you snapped at him. "You're being overbearing and smothering me with your constant hovering! I'm not made of glass, Papyrus. I'm not going to break just because someone looks at me the wrong way!"  
  
"I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE SAFE..." Papyrus was distressed by your anger.  
  
"And I just want you to have a little faith in me!"  
  
"I DO HAVE FAITH IN YOU!"  
  
"You clearly don't trust me to take care of myself."  
  
Papyrus grimaced. He couldn't deny that he had been growing anxious lately if he didn't know exactly where you were and how you were doing.  
  
"I just can't take it anymore, Papyrus." Your hands gripped your hair tightly as you tried to rein in the anger, hurt, and frustration that had finally boiled over. "I need some time to myself."  
  
You stood and briefly considered heading up to your room, but the idea of being so close to everyone who had just witnessed your argument did not sit well with you at all. You headed towards the front door.  
  
"W-WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!" Papyrus asked, alarmed as you stomped over and gathered your things.  
  
"Out." you stated curtly, and slammed the door behind you.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You had no idea where you were going, you just knew you needed to get away and cool-off. You'd eventually stopped and wandered into some bar, claiming a table off in a corner to yourself.  
  
As tempting as it was, you were not foolish enough to try and drown your sorrows in alcohol here. You may not be inclined to leave anytime soon, but getting drunk was simply not in the cards when you had no one to drive you home. Thus, you stuck to one drink, then spent the rest of the evening nursing non-alcoholic beverages.  
  
Even the drunkest patrons of the bar were quick to realize that you were in no mood to talk to anyone, and let you be. You were grateful for this, and spent the next several hours blissfully alone and letting the music wash over you as you stared blankly at one of the TVs which was set to some sports network.  
  
Hours passed and your anger dulled, leaving you feeling depressed over your fight with Papyrus. He meant well, you knew this, but it was just so frustrating to have someone constantly hovering over you. Despite the fact that you knew you had a right to be angry, you couldn't help but think of the anxious look on his face as you had walked out the door. You didn't want to worry him, but... damn it. Your thoughts kept leading you around in circles.  
  
You checked your phone, and were a bit surprised that there were no new messages, especially given that it was nearing midnight.  
  
_"Then again, it's not like my 'friends' aren't tracking my whereabouts, anyway."_  
  
You scowled a bit, your bitter moodiness returning as you remembered the Soul Tracker program Alphys had created specifically to track your whereabouts. It hadn't bothered you much before, but right now you couldn't help the bitter thoughts that flowed into your mind.  
  
_"Drinking until I can't think is sounding like a better and better idea..."_ you grimaced.  
  
There was still the problem of needing to go home at some point. You thought of the liquor store you'd passed on the way here and wondered if they were still open. There was one way to find out.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You walked in the door and looked around. Mercifully, it seemed that both Papyrus and Sans had already gone to bed. You removed your coat and made your way up to your room with your purchase, being careful to shut the door quietly behind you. You propped up the pillows on your bed and reclined against them as you began nursing your alcoholic beverage of choice for the night.  
  
Unfortunately, you weren't given as much peace as you'd hoped, as a few minutes later there was a quiet knock on your door. You decided to ignore it, still none-too-eager to face Papyrus right now.  
  
There was a bit of a pause before you heard Sans' voice through the door. "we've been over this before. this is the part where you say, 'who's there?'" he then followed up by knocking again.  
  
You sighed, but played along. "Who's there?"  
  
"candice."  
  
"Candice, who?"  
  
"candice door open, or what?"  
  
You sighed in annoyance, but at least it wasn't Papyrus. "Give me a minute."  
  
You got up from your bed, placing your drink on the night stand next to the bed, and unlocking your door. You looked at Sans dismally as you opened the door.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
You were mildly surprised and annoyed when he walked past you and settled himself on your bed, curiously examining the open bottle of alcohol at your bedside before taking a swig. Your glare did nothing to deter him. You settled on the bed next to him, grabbing the bottle and taking a swig yourself. If you were about to be lectured, you were at least going to make sure you were comfortable and slightly inebriated for it. The two of you sat there, passing the bottle back and forth for a few minutes before Sans finally spoke up.  
  
"so... papyrus was pretty worried about you after you left."  
  
"I figured as much."  
  
"you know he only worries because he cares?"  
  
"I know." you sighed.  
  
"and, in his defense, you do seem to be fate's favorite punching bag."  
  
You let out a snort of amusement. "If I'm going to be fate's punching bag, I may as well be the favorite one."  
  
Sans chuckled slightly. There was another brief bout of silence before you spoke up again.  
  
"It's not healthy, you know? For either of us."  
  
"hm?" Sans took the bottle from your hand and took another swig.  
  
"Him worrying about me all the time, and me being constantly under his scrutiny... The stress was bound cause one of us to snap at some point. I just... I feel bad that I snapped at him like that. Especially in front of our friends. But... but he was being so STUBBORN!"  
  
"yeah, paps has always had a stubborn streak, especially when it comes to protecting those he cares about." Sans knew this from personal experience. There had been a time when Papyrus first learned that he only had 1 HP. Papyrus had taken it upon himself to protect his beloved brother from all threats, even the non-existent ones. "drinking won't solve the problem, though." Sans took the bottle once again, and drained a good portion of it.  
  
"Hey!" you snatched the bottle back, glaring angrily at Sans when you realized just how little was left.  
  
"just do me a favor and talk to him about it, alright?" Sans said, standing and walking to the door.  
  
"I will..." you sighed, lifting the bottle back to your lips.  
  
You barely got a taste of it before the bottle was surrounded by a deep blue aura and pulled suddenly away from you and over to Sans.  
  
"Sans!" you hissed at him in annoyance.  
  
"i'll just throw this out for you. wouldn't want pappy to realize you've been drinking." Sans was grinning deviously at you, then proceeded to chug the remainder of the bottle and walked out the door.  
  
"Ass..." You muttered after he was gone.  
  
So much for drinking away your sorrows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dammit, Sans! I appreciate your concern, but did you have to steal the booze, too?! Ah, who am I kidding? It wouldn't be Sans if he wasn't being a bit of a dick while trying to help. 
> 
> So, who's ready for an awkward morning?


	28. Blood and Fear

To say the next morning was awkward would be putting it lightly. You weren't sure whether Sans was sleeping in extra late because he was trying to give you and Papyrus privacy in working out your issues, or because he had a hangover from drinking most of your alcohol. Possibly both. Either way, you sat alone at the kitchen table as Papyrus made breakfast, his bones stiff and tense, and his mistakes quickly building towards breakfast becoming inedible.  
  
You both knew you needed to talk, but neither of you knew where to begin. You started as Papyrus yelped in surprise as the pancakes burst into flames, quickly slamming a lid over the frying pan and smothering the fire there before shoving his flaming hand into the sink full of soapy water waiting for this morning's breakfast dishes.  
  
"Are you alright??" You asked in concern, rushing over to him.  
  
"MY GLOVE..." Papyrus examined the charred and sodden glove sadly.  
  
Your concern, though, lied deeper. You pulled his arm down close to you and peeled off the glove. The damage underneath wasn't nearly as extensive as on the glove itself, but you could still clearly make out scorch marks along the bones of his hands. Papyrus was unable to suppress the hiss of pain when you gently ran your fingers along the injury.  
  
"Come on."  
  
You firmly held his uninjured wrist and lead him to the bathroom, where the first aid kit was. You turned on the cold water in the faucet.  
  
"Hold the burn under the running water." you instructed and Papyrus did as you told him.  
  
You rooted around looking for the first aid kit, and eventually found it. A minute later, and you'd pulled out some burn gel and bandages.  
  
"Alright, now sit down here and let me see your hand." you guided Papyrus to sit on the toilet lid, then examined his hand again. It seemed that most of the blackened char was from the glove itself, and had rinsed off easy enough. The burned area was discolored, though, and you quickly set to applying the gel and wrapping his fingers in the bandages.  
  
The two of you were quiet as you worked, the silence only broken by Papyrus' occasional gasp as you touched a particularly painful spot here or there. You were nearly done when you finally spoke up.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
You didn't say what you were sorry for, but you didn't need to. Papyrus knew.  
  
"I'M SORRY AS WELL."  
  
"I.." you hesitated. "I didn't mean to snap at you like that."  
  
"YOU ONLY SNAPPED AT ME BECAUSE I REFUSED TO LISTEN. I... I KNEW YOU WERE UNHAPPY, BUT I KEPT TELLING MYSELF THAT IT WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAT YOU WERE SAFE. WITH... WITH YOU STRUGGLING WITH YOUR MAGIC, I BEGAN TO WORRY MORE AND MORE THAT YOU COULDN'T DEFEND YOURSELF, AND I THOUGHT OF ALL THE WAYS YOU COULD BE HURT, AND THAT JUST MADE ME WORRY MORE, AND... AND I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE THAT THE THING HURTING YOU THE MOST RIGHT NOW WAS **ME.** " Papyrus struggled unsuccessfully to hold back his tears.  
  
You wrapped your arms around him and just hugged him, running your hand up and down his spine soothingly.  
  
"Hey, I know you didn't mean to upset me," you spoke quietly. Papyrus eventually settled, and you pulled away.  
  
"We need to talk. Are you willing to listen to me now?"  
  
Papyrus nodded, sniffling a bit.  
  
"I understand that you worry about me, but you can't watch over me 24/7. If you let yourself worry over every little possible way I could get hurt, than it won't matter even if I do learn magic, because I'll never be safe enough." you explained. "I know it isn't necessarily going to be easy, but I need you to try and stop worrying so much. Can you do that for me?"  
  
"I..." He hesitated briefly, before straightening his back, grabbing your hands and looking you straight in the eye. "I WILL DO THIS FOR YOU! WORRY HAS MADE ME DOUBT MY FRIENDS, BUT I WILL BE BOWED BY ITS WEIGHT NO MORE! FOR I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AND I CANNOT BE DEFEATED!" Papyrus' sockets sparkled with that old familiar confidence.  
  
You smiled at him, glad to see him acting like his old self again. "Thanks, Papyrus."  
  
You glanced down at where his hands still held yours and remembered the time Papyrus had bandaged your own hand after you'd accidentally cut yourself with a knife. Now you were the one who had bandaged him, but there was one last thing he'd done... A blush began to stain your cheeks as you brought his hand up and pressed your lips gently against the bandage.  
  
Papyrus' eye sockets widened and he flushed as well when you placed a light, lingering kiss on his injured hand. He felt his magic beginning to stir and wondered if Frisk was right about the healing properties of kisses.  
  
You stood up straight again, still a little giddy. Holding onto Papyrus' hand, you gently lead him out of the bathroom and back towards the kitchen. "Come on, let's see if we can still salvage breakfast."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The next few days were an utter relief for you. Papyrus, true to his word, stopped clinging to you like he was afraid you might break at any moment. You drove yourself to and from work, were able to relax in your room without being bothered, and even got dragged out for a few drinks with Mariana and Alphys.  
  
Things were not so easy for Papyrus. Despite his confident declaration, actually stopping himself from worrying was a lot harder than he'd thought it would be. Despite the confident smiles he gave you, he couldn't quite stop his mind from coming up with a multitude of scenarios that would result in you getting hurt again, and he remained tense and anxious all day until you finally came home safe and sound.  
  
Worse yet, he'd made a disturbing discovery: it had only been two days since he'd agreed to stop worrying over you so much, and he'd gone into the bathroom to remove the bandage from his now healed hand. That's when he'd noticed the strange bandages in the trash. They must have been from you, because they had blood on them. He barely restrained himself from tracking you down at that very moment and demanding to know where you were injured.  
  
_"NO... I SHOULDN'T DO THAT. I TOLD HER I WOULD STOP WORRYING OVER EVERY LITTLE THING. I'M SURE IT IS JUST A MINOR INJURY. SHE WOULD HAVE TOLD ME OTHERWISE, RIGHT?"_  
  
That seemed logical. It was just a minor injury. Maybe you'd accidentally cut yourself again, or scraped your knee? Frisk was always scraping their knee when they were playing with him. It was no big deal. You'd told Papyrus yourself that humans had to leak a lot of blood for it to be dangerous, and he wouldn't quantify the amount of blood on the bandages as 'a lot'. Everything was fine.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Everything was NOT fine! It was several days later, and Papyrus happened to glance in the waste bin while drying himself off after his shower. There were a lot more bandages in the trash now, and they seemed to be covered in increasingly large amounts of blood.  
  
_"OH GOD... THERE'S SO MUCH OF IT... BUT... BUT WHY HASN'T SHE SAID ANYTHING ABOUT IT? IS SHE STILL MAD AT ME AND THINKS I WON'T LEAVE HER ALONE AGAIN AFTER THIS? WHAT IF SHE'S OUT THERE DYING BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T TRUST ME ANY MORE AND IT'S ALL MY FAULT?!"_  
  
Papyrus didn't know what to do. He'd told you he'd stop worrying so much about you, but how was he suppose to ignore this?! He... He needed a second opinion. Unfortunately, Sans was at work. Alphys would be at work as well, but Undyne had today off. She'd be able to help him!  
  
Papyrus grabbed the waste basket and ran out to his car. He pulled out his cell phone as he quickly pulled out of the driveway. The phone rang a few times before Undyne picked up.  
  
"Hey, Papyrus! What's up?"  
  
"UNDYNE! I NEED YOUR HELP! ARE YOU AT HOME?"  
  
"Yeah. What's wrong?? Did something happen??"  
  
"_____ IS LEAKING!"  
  
"She's what now??"  
  
"LEAKING! THAT THING HUMANS DO WHEN THEY GET HURT!"  
  
"You mean bleeding?"  
  
"THAT'S WHAT I SAID!" There was a brief pause and a squeal of tires as Papyrus whipped around a corner before continuing. "I THINK _____ IS INJURED AND REFUSING TO TELL ME ABOUT IT."  
  
"Didn't you two work this out already? I thought you agreed not to worry about her so much?"  
  
"I DID, AND I'M TRYING, BUT THERE'S BLOOD, UNDYNE. A LOT OF IT. I'M BRINGING THE BANDAGES OVER NOW SO YOU CAN SEE."  
  
Undyne sighed. "Alright. When are you going to be here?"  
  
Undyne's question was answer almost before she could get it out as Papyrus burst through the front door, a waste basket in hand. He immediately began digging through it and pulling out one bandage after another.  
  
"LOOK! SEE HOW MANY BANDAGES THERE ARE? AND ALL THE BLOOD? DO YOU... DO YOU THINK _____ IS IN DANGER OF LEAKING TOO MUCH? SHE TOLD ME HUMANS CAN DIE IF THEY LOSE A LOT OF BLOOD."  
  
"Shit..." Undyne cursed quietly as she looked over the bandages. She was no doctor, but that looked like an awful lot of blood to her. Almost as much as you'd lost when she'd attacked you, or so she guessed, and you had passed out then.  
  
"UNDYNE...?" Papyrus questioned fearfully.  
  
"Do you know where she is right now?"  
  
"SHE SHOULD BE AT WORK."  
  
"Come on, let's go." Undyne shoved the bandages back into the waste basket and lead the way out the door.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"They're having a Christmas party? I bet that'll be fun! I didn't even know monsters celebrated Christmas!" Mariana commented from her cubicle next to yours. "You'll need to tell me all about it afterwards! Unless you could score me an invite?"  
  
"I'm sure they wouldn't mind you being there, but you'd have to be the one to tell ME how it goes. I was planning on heading to my parent's house Christmas eve." you responded.  
  
"What? Does your family have some sort of party on Christmas eve, too?"  
  
"Well, no. We don't really do anything special on Christmas eve, but I usually stay the night and then spend Christmas day with my family." You saved the document you were working on and opened up your email to mail it.  
  
"Couldn't you just head to your parent's house in the morning? If you don't do anything for Christmas Eve anyway, it seems kind of a waste to miss the party."  
  
"But that's the way I've always spent the holiday..."  
  
"Just because you've always done it that way doesn't mean you always HAVE to do it that way. Have you tried talking to your folks? They might not even mind!"  
  
"Well... no. Papyrus suggested that I invite them to the party, but I haven't even talked to them in a few weeks..."  
  
"What?! Christmas Eve is just a few days away and you haven't told them they were invited to the party?!"  
  
You cringed. You hadn't meant to let that slip to Mariana. Despite your friendship, there were still things about you that you weren't comfortable telling her. "Erm..."  
  
You sighed in relief as there was a loud disturbance in the hallway, which pulled Mariana's attention off of you. Your relief, however, turned to confusion as you peeked over the wall of your cubicle and spotted Papyrus and Undyne as they burst into the room and began combing the cubicles while calling your name and carrying a trash barrel with them.  
  
"What the fu-" your curse was cut off as Papyrus spotted you and vaulted over the cubicle wall to wrap you in a painfully tight hug.  
  
"_____!! YOU'RE STILL ALIVE!!"  
  
"Air!" you wheezed out, and Papyrus released his death grip on you.  
  
Before you could scold him and demand an explanation, you were spun around by Undyne who was looking you over critically. "First off, where are you hurt? We'll deal with the who and how after that." she demanded.  
  
"What are you two going on about?? I'm not hurt."  
  
"I know you don't want Papyrus to worry about you so much, but don't you try lying to me. He showed me the bloody bandages." Undyne scolded you.  
  
"Bloody bandages?? What bandages??" you were utterly confused.  
  
"THESE ONES!"  
  
You turned back towards Papyrus and paled briefly before burning bright red in humiliation when you saw him waving around several of your used pads. Mariana's barely restrained laughter made you painfully aware that the ruckus Papyrus and Undyne were making had drawn the undivided attention of everyone in the room, including your boss, who had peaked her head out of her office to see what the fuss was all about.  
  
You could do nothing but gape at the sight, your jaw opening a few times as if to speak, but no words coming out. Your nearly catatonic response, however, succeeded in spurring Undyne to action.  
  
"Shit! You're not going to pass out on me again, are you?!" she turned to Papyrus. "We need to get her to Alphys' lab, NOW!"  
  
"I'm not-"  
  
"DO NOT WORRY, _____! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL GET YOU THERE QUICKLY!"  
  
Before you could protest further, Papyrus scooped you up in his arms, the trash can laying forgotten on the floor, and he quickly followed Undyne out of the room. They didn't take the time to wait for the elevator, opting to run up the stairs instead. You were clinging to Papyrus during the jostling ascent in mortified confusion.  
  
At their pace, it didn't take long for the three of you to reach the 8th floor and burst through the doorway to Alphys' lab. Alphys, for her part, squealed in surprise and fell out of her chair at the sudden intrusion.  
  
"YOU'VE GOT TO HELP, DOCTOR ALPHYS!" Papyrus shouted.  
  
Undyne quickly helped Alphys up off the floor.  
  
"W-what's wrong??" she asked, her voice still high as she was still recovering from her surprise.  
  
"_____ is bleeding! A lot!" Undyne spoke up.  
  
"W-where?!" Alphys, too, began to examine you for injuries as Papyrus continued to cradle you.  
  
"I'm not hurt!" you insisted.  
  
"Stop trying to deny it! We've seen the bandages!" Undyne growled at your stubborn refusal to acknowledge your own injury.  
  
"Those weren't bandages! They were pads!" You tried wiggling out of Papyrus' hold unsuccessfully.  
  
"Yeah, whatever. The point is they were covered in blood! So, unless it wasn't yours..." Undyne trailed off.  
  
"It was mine, but-"  
  
"THAN LET US HELP YOU!" Papyrus cut you off.  
  
"Pads?" Alphys questioned, looking like she was trying to recall some half-remembered fact she'd picked up somewhere. "I remember Mariana complaining a while ago that the ladies room was out of... what was it... tampons? ...And that there were only pads left..."  
  
"OH NO! IS THE OTHER HUMAN INJURED, TOO?!"  
  
"No one is injured!" You growled out.  
  
"BUT THE BLOOD-" Papyrus started.  
  
"-Is something I can explain if you'll JUST LET ME SPEAK!" You barked in annoyance. Your outburst seemed to be enough for Papyrus to finally loosen his hold on you, and you wiggled free. You let out a sigh. "Is there somewhere we can sit?" You asked Alphys.  
  
"Y-yes! Of course! This way!" She lead the way out of the lab and across the hall to her own personal break room. You once again marveled at how much better it was than the community break room on your floor, and you briefly wondered why you never had lunch here?  
  
You all settled down on the couches and chairs, with Alphys grabbing a pitcher of water and some cups before settling down herself. Then, everyone's focus turned to you.  
  
_"Great. Just what I was hoping to do today: give 'the talk' to my adult monster friends."_  
  
You cleared your throat a bit and stalled by grabbing a glass of water Alphys had provided. Your thirst quenched, you took a deep breath and began: "The blood is from my period." You weren't terribly surprised by the collective looks of confusion you received.  
  
"Could you elaborate?" Alphys asked.  
  
"It's a slang term for menstruation, which is when an adult human woman expels the blood and lining from her uterus. It's part of the reproductive cycle."  
  
"UTERUS??" Papyrus was still confused.  
  
"Reproductive cycle?" Undyne fidgeted uncomfortably, realizing where this was going, but too morbidly curious to back down.  
  
"Yes... You see, when a human female reaches puberty, she starts getting her period. Basically, the uterus begins preparing itself for the possibility of the woman becoming pregnant. However, if the woman doesn't become pregnant, the lining and blood are shed so that a new, fresh lining can be made for the next month. It's not dangerous, it's just a basic part of human reproduction." You couldn't look any of them in the face as you explained.  
  
"BUT YOU'VE BEEN LEAKING FOR DAYS! THAT CAN'T BE HEALTHY!"  
  
"That's actually pretty normal. It can last up to a week."  
  
"SO... YOU'RE NOT DYING?"  
  
"No, I'm not." You stated firmly.  
  
"And this happens every month?" Alphys asked.  
  
"Yes. Every month that I'm not pregnant."  
  
"Wait, wait, wait... Let me get this straight..." Undyne spoke up. "So, what you're saying is that human women leak vital life blood... for a week... every month... and shrug it off like it's nothing?"  
  
"Er, well, yeah. Basically. I mean, there's usually cramps and other unpleasantness involved, but it-"  
  
"That... is... FREAKING BAD ASS!" Undyne declared, launching herself at you and pulling you into a rough noogie.  
  
"Ack!" You struggled a bit, but there was no escaping Undyne's grasp.  
  
"Maybe I underestimated you, nerd!" Undyne seemed proud, and finally released you.  
  
You had just barely recovered when Papyrus pulled you into a tight hug. "I AM GLAD YOU ARE NOT DYING!"  
  
You sighed. You wanted to be mad at him for freaking out again, and embarrassing you in front of all your coworkers, but you just couldn't muster your ire. You could understand how bad it must have seemed to someone with no knowledge of human reproduction. However... "Papyrus?"  
  
"YES?"  
  
"Next time you're... concerned... please talk to me about it in private. Freaking out in front of all my coworkers is not cool." You turned your gaze to Undyne. "That goes for you, too."  
  
They both looked pretty abashed about having made such a huge scene apparently over nothing.  
  
"SORRY, _____."  
  
"Heh... My bad..."  
  
"Well, now that that's settled, we should probably get back to work." Alphys pointed out.  
  
You groaned. You could practically hear the rumor mill churning already. The next few days til Christmas were going to be long, indeed.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"Yes, I know Christmas Eve is tomorrow." You spoke into your phone, gently massaging your temple with your other hand. "I know, mom, I meant to call you earlier about it, but I just sort of got caught up with work and the stress of the holidays. ... I'm sure they'll understand, mom. I- ... Yes, I'll let them know that it's because I waited so long to ask and not because you don't appreciate the invite. ... Of course, I- what? ... You know it's a three hour drive from here! I don't know how long the party will be going on, and I don't want to make the drive at night when I'm exhausted, I- ... What about our tradition of making breakfast and then opening presents in the morning? If I wait until Christmas day to leave it'd probably be closer to noon before I got there. ... Yes, I'm well aware that I don't get invited to Christmas parties every year, but- ... Would you please stop worrying about my social life, mom? ... Alright, alright, fine! I'll go to the freaking party! ... Oh, NOW you're going to worry about me drinking? For crying out loud, mom. ... Yes, I love you, too. I'll see you in a couple of days."  
  
You ended the call and sighed in exasperation. Nothing like being scolded like an errant child by your mother two days before Christmas. Alright, so maybe it was your fault that you were just now telling your family about the party tomorrow. You had expected a bit of disappointment and fallout from that, but you really were worried that someone would let slip that things weren't as hunky-dory as you'd told your family. What you hadn't expected was your mother's vehement insistence that the least you could do was attend the party yourself. She'd claimed that it would be rude not to. That, and she continued to concern herself about what she perceived as your lack of a social life.  
  
You left your room and headed downstairs where Papyrus was sorting through a ton of bags filled with decorations, favors, snacks, and other things he deemed necessary for the party.  
  
"Hey, Paps. Getting ready to decorate for the party?"  
  
"OF COURSE! UNLIKE MY BROTHER, I HAVE NO INTENTION OF BEING LAZY AND LEAVING THAT TO THE LAST MINUTE! BY THIS EVENING, OUR HOME SHALL BE THE EPITOME OF HOLIDAY CHEER, AS ONE SHOULD EXPECT FROM THE EFFORTS OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS! NYEH HEH HEH!"  
  
"I'm sure it will be!" you smiled at him.  
  
"BY THE WAY, WILL YOUR FAMILY BE COMING TO THE PARTY?"  
  
Your smile turned into a grimace. "Er... well... no. I'm afraid they can't make it. I, uh, kind of forgot to mention it to them until today..."  
  
Papyrus gave you a stern, disapproving look. "THIS IS WHY YOU DO NOT PROCRASTINATE." His expression changed to one of disappointment. "THAN I SUPPOSE I WILL NOT GET TO MEET YOUR FAMILY AT THE PARTY. WHAT TIME WILL YOU BE LEAVING TOMORROW?"  
  
"Um... well, the thing is... My mom suggested that I head home on Christmas day, instead, so that I can go to the party..."  
  
"REALLY?!" Papyrus' mood brightened instantly, excited by the news. "THAT'S WONDERFUL NEWS!" Papyrus grabbed you up into a bone-crushing hug. "YOU MUST THANK YOUR MOM FOR ME FOR ALLOWING YOU TO COME TO THE PARTY!"  
  
A thought occurred to you... There would still be the risk of your family learning something you didn't want them to, but... no. You knew Papyrus would never say a word if you asked him to keep things quiet, and he'd been so excited to meet your family...  
  
"Say, Paps, would you be interested in coming with me? I'm sure my family wouldn't mind."  
  
Papyrus held you out at arm's length and looked you in the eye. "YOU WANT ME TO GO WITH YOU TO YOUR PARENTS HOUSE? WOWIE! ... BUT, I COULDN'T LEAVE SANS ALL ALONE ON CHRISTMAS..."  
  
You hesitated. Your relationship with Sans was still a little bit shaky, but the two of you did get along much better now, and you were certain he wouldn't upset his brother by saying anything to your family... "He can come, too, if he wants."  
  
"REALLY?!" You were once again pulled into another bear hug. "THANK YOU! LET ME GO ASK HIM!"  
  
You were suddenly released, and Papyrus ran up the steps two at a time. You took a moment to regain your balance, and then chuckled as you realized that Papyrus' already loud volume was even louder, as you could hear him easily from here.  
  
"SANS! GET UP, YOU LAZY BONES! THIS IS IMPORTANT! _____ HAS INVITED US TO SPEND CHRISTMAS WITH HER AND HER FAMILY!"  
  
...  
  
"UGH. YES, US! YOU'RE INVITED, TOO."  
  
...  
  
"I KNOW IT'S SHORT NOTICE, BUT I BET IT'LL BE FUN! PLEASE, CAN WE GO?"  
  
...  
  
"THANK YOU, BROTHER! THIS MAKES ME SO HAPPY, I'LL EVEN FORGIVE ALL THOSE TERRIBLE PUNS!"  
  
You had no idea what Sans had said, but if he was making puns and Papyrus wasn't complaining about it, than Papyrus must REALLY be excited. You couldn't help the smile on your face, knowing that you were the one to bring Papyrus such excitement and joy. Papyrus was back downstairs a few moments later to tell you the good news.  
  
"MY BROTHER AGREED! WE'LL BE JOINING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY FOR CHRISTMAS!" Papyrus beamed at you.  
  
"That's great! I'll text them to let them know you're coming." You pulled out your phone and typed out the text. You received a response a minute later acknowledging your text, and letting you know they couldn't wait to meet your friends. "Alright! Now that that's settled, did you want some help decorating for the party?"  
  
"YES! I'D BE HAPPY TO HAVE YOUR ASSISTANCE! SANS WILL BE DOWN TO HELP, TOO, ONCE HE FINISHES HIS SHOWER."  
  
"Alright, than let's go ahead and get started!"  
  
\------------------------------  
  
It took most of the day, but with a little effort, the three of you transformed the skeleton brother's home into a Christmas wonderland.  
  
"Everything looks amazing, Paps!" you grinned proudly.  
  
"santa himself couldn't have done better." Sans agreed.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH..." Papyrus blushed happily at the compliments. "YOU SHOULD EXPECT NOTHING BUT THE BEST FROM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! YOU TWO WERE AN EXCELLENT HELP, AS WELL! EVEN YOU, SANS! IF YOU PUT THAT MUCH EFFORT INTO EVERYTHING YOU DID, YOU MIGHT EVEN BE AS GREAT AS ME!"  
  
"heh. i doubt it, bro. no one could possibly be as great as you are." Sans smiled fondly at his brother.  
  
"NYEH, IT IS INDEED A LOFTY STANDARD TO ASPIRE TO, BUT WE SOMETIMES MUST SET IMPOSSIBLE GOALS FOR OURSELVES IF WE'RE TO SEE HOW HIGH WE CAN REACH!" Papyrus nodded sagely.  
  
"Haha! I can just imagine Sans acting like you, Papyrus! Just think of him wearing his own set of armor, full of energy and optimism, and out training every day! It's such a weird and adorable mental image." you laughed.  
  
"THAT WOULD BE AMAZING! THEN WE COULD TRAIN TOGETHER!"  
  
"i'm **gauntlet** you know right now, i wouldn't **vambrace** that idea. just thinkin' about it casts a **pauldron** over me, and makes me want get **sabatons** more sleep instead."  
  
"UGH!" Papyrus grimaced at the storm of armor-related puns. "ANYWAY, THE ONLY THING LEFT TO DO IS PREPARE THE FOOD, BUT I'LL DO THAT TOMORROW SO THAT IT IS ALL FRESH! YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, _____!"  
  
"Time to watch Mettaton's latest show?" you suggested, hoping Papyrus would take the suggestion.  
  
"I'M AFRAID THAT WILL HAVE TO WAIT! IT IS TIME FOR YOUR NIGHTLY TRAINING!"  
  
You groaned. Papyrus was nothing if not dedicated to ensuring you practiced trying to summon your magic. It had been the better part of a month since you'd started trying, and you still had nothing to show for it. It was like there was some sort of mental block preventing you from accessing your magic at all. Alphys had recently suggested that it might be a defense mechanism created by your soul after hundreds of years of being executed for possessing magical abilities. Of course, since you'd already used it twice, that meant that it wasn't completely impossible to use it... just nearly impossible.  
  
"SIT DOWN AND RELAX. REACH INWARD TO YOUR SOUL AND LET THE MAGIC FLOW OUTWARD. DO NOT TRY TO FORM IT, YET, JUST LET IT COME OUT." Papyrus instructed, as usual.  
  
You sighed and sat down on the couch, facing him. You closed your eyes and once again began searching for your soul within you, trying to let everything else drop out of focus, like in Marge's meditation technique. You'd recently figured out how to find it, or so you assumed. It was really hard to tell if it was actually your soul that you'd found, or if you were just imagining it for the sake of making you feel like you'd made SOME sort of progress... Either way, you focused your mind on the gentle warmth that lingered in your chest.  
  
...  
  
Nothing happened. You mentally poked and prodded at the warmth, but it didn't seem to have any effect. You continued trying to will magic to flow from your soul, to get any sort of reaction, for over an hour. At that point, you'd begun to let your mind wander aimlessly.  
  
...  
  
"_____?" a loud voice called your name, right next to your face.  
  
"Wha?!" you cried out, eyes flying open as you nearly fell off the couch, your descent stopped only by Papyrus' quick reflexes. You were pulled back up onto the couch properly.  
  
You focused your attention on Papyrus, who was giving you a stern look. "YOU FELL ASLEEP."  
  
You heard Sans snicker from the armchair he was dozing in nearby, apparently not so far gone that he couldn't pick up on you getting scolded by his brother.  
  
"S-sorry... Guess I took the 'relax' part a little too far... Erm... how long have we been at it?"  
  
"TWO HOURS, ALTHOUGH IT'S TECHNICALLY LESS SINCE YOU SLEPT THROUGH PART OF IT." Papyrus continued to eye you disapprovingly.  
  
You sighed, rubbing your face and temples with your hands. "Let's face it, this just isn't working."  
  
"HM... YOU ARE STRUGGLING QUITE A BIT WITH IT. I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S BECAUSE YOU ARE HUMAN, OR IF IT'S FOR SOME OTHER REASON." Papyrus considered this, but had no answers. "IF WE COULD FIGURE OUT YOUR TRIGGER, I'M SURE IT WOULD MAKE THINGS EASIER."  
  
"We've been over that, too, Papyrus. While I can think of plenty of good things that may have caused me to use my magic to protect you, I just can't think of any positive feelings that may have triggered the first use of my magic. I mean, I was terrified and confused. Those aren't exactly the building blocks for positive thinking."  
  
"THERE HAS TO BE MORE TO IT, THOUGH. I MEAN, LOOK AT YOUR FEAR OF MONSTERS! YOU WEREN'T AFRAID OF BEING ATTACKED BY MONSTERS, RIGHT? YOU SAID YOU WERE AFRAID OF BEING REJECTED."  
  
"Well, I suppose I was feeling the same sort of fear when Asgore confronted me... He was just so... so **angry** , and it **hurt** , and then... Then I was elsewhere. But, still, it doesn't change the fact that fear is fear."  
  
"it does change the assumption of what your underlying motivations are, though." Sans spoke up, sleepily.  
  
"What?" you turned to him, surprised that he was contributing to the discussion, since he certainly didn't want you using magic.  
  
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, SANS?"  
  
"what i mean is, you don't generally feel fear of someone attacking you if you think well of them or if they're just some random stranger who you have no opinions of. if you think someone might attack you, there's probably some negative thoughts underlying that fear. similarly, you're not likely to be afraid of someone rejecting you if you dislike them or have no feelings towards them at all. if that were the case, their thoughts about you wouldn't matter to you, so you wouldn't be afraid. the question in this case is, why does asgore's opinion matter to you? what do you think of him that gives his words such weight?"  
  
You stared at Sans in stunned silence for a few long moments. You'd never thought about it like that; you'd been too focused on how overwhelmingly afraid and confused you'd been at the time... What did you really feel about Asgore? Why had his fury in particular hurt so much?  
  
"Thanks, Sans. I guess I have a lot to think about..."  
  
Sans simply shrugged. "no problem."  
  
"Well, I'll worry about that later. I think I'm going to get some sleep. The next few days are going to be pretty busy, after all. Goodnight."  
  
"THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA. I WILL NEED TO BE UP BRIGHT AND EARLY TOMORROW IF I'M TO PREPARE ALL THE FOOD FOR THE PARTY. GOOD NIGHT, _____!"  
  
You headed off to bed, and Papyrus and Sans were soon to follow. It was as Papyrus was settled in bed and Sans was putting away the storybook he'd just read that Papyrus spoke up.  
  
"THANK YOU, BROTHER. FOR HELPING _____."  
  
Sans turned to look at Papyrus, snuggled under the covers of his racecar bed, wearing his pajamas. "heh. trouble seems to follow her everywhere. i'll have to worry less about you risking your own neck if she can defend herself."  
  
Papyrus gave Sans a knowing smile. Try as he might to deny it, Papyrus knew you were growing on Sans. So, despite your continued struggles with magic, it was with a light, and hopeful heart that Papyrus drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that scene with Papyrus talking to Sans about going with you on Christmas actually has full dialogue behind it, I didn't just BS the idea that Sans was responding and making puns. However, it would have been weird to have Sans' dialogue included when the scene is from Reader's perspective and she can't hear him. That does not mean I'm going to let those wonderfully terrible puns go to waste, though! So here's that scene with Sans' dialogue included!
> 
> "SANS! GET UP, YOU LAZY BONES! THIS IS IMPORTANT! _____ HAS INVITED US TO SPEND CHRISTMAS WITH HER AND HER FAMILY!"  
> "us? **snow** joke?"  
>  "UGH. YES, US! YOU'RE INVITED, TOO."  
> "i don't know, bro... she didn't **gift** us much time to decide..."  
>  "I KNOW IT'S SHORT NOTICE, BUT I BET IT'LL BE FUN! PLEASE, CAN WE GO?"  
> "alright, alright, bro. i **candy** see it means a lot to you, so i'll stop **toy** ing with you about it. we can go, but only **fir** you."  
>  "THANK YOU, BROTHER! THIS MAKES ME SO HAPPY, I'LL EVEN FORGIVE ALL THOSE TERRIBLE PUNS!"
> 
> Also, that embarrassing panic over Reader's menstrual cycle was a scene idea I've had since near the beginning of this fic. It just seemed kind of perfect to have poor, sweet, innocent Papyrus mistake it for something more dangerous. And Undyne... I can't help but feel that she'd think that human women bleeding every month like it's nothing would be totally badass.


	29. Christmas Wishes...

You found yourself up and out pretty early on Christmas Eve. Papyrus had a lot of food to prepare, probably too much food, and Undyne had volunteered her kitchen to help prepare it all on time. Thus, you found yourself bringing the bags of ingredients she'd need and a list of what to make over to the house she shared with Alphys.  
  
"Let's see... He wants you to make the eggnog, sugar cookies, spaghetti sauce and meatballs, glazed ham, peppermint bark, and gingerbread cookies." Alphys read off the list.  
  
Undyne nodded in understanding. "That should be doable, no problem."  
  
"Hm..." You thought of what Undyne was suppose to make, and had an idea. "Undyne?"  
  
"Yeah? What's up, punk?"  
  
"Would you mind if I made the sauce and meatballs?"  
  
"Eh? Sure. Any reason why?" she grinned somewhat deviously at you.  
  
You huffed, "My mom used to make homemade sauce and meatballs when I was a kid all the time. They were amazing, but it's been years since she last had the chance to prepare them. If I can get the recipe from her, I want to see if I can make them myself."  
  
"A family recipe? I bet everyone would love that!" Alphys piped up.  
  
"Thanks! Let me just give my mom a call and see about getting that recipe."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Hours flew by, and the time for the party was fast approaching. You pulled into the driveway, with Alphys and Undyne pulling in right behind you. The three of you began to gather up the prepared food and carry it into the house.  
  
"heya. i see you're back." Sans greeted from his position lazing on the couch as the three of you walked in.  
  
"Where do you want the food?" Undyne asked.  
  
"you'll have to ask my bro. he's in the kitchen doing some finishing touches on the last dish now."  
  
Undyne quickly strode into the kitchen, while you and Alphys waited patiently where you were. A minute later, she returned with Papyrus in tow, carrying a large roasted turkey.  
  
"NYEH! WELCOME BACK! YOU'RE JUST IN TIME! WE SHOULD HAVE JUST ENOUGH TIME TO FINISH SETTING THE BUFFET BEFORE THE REST OF THE GUESTS START ARRIVING!"  
  
You set the rest of the platters on the table along with Papyrus' own creations, and then began to set out the snacks that didn't need special preparations, such as the chips and dip, and the bowl of candy canes.  
  
Papyrus wasn't kidding about there being just enough time to finish setting up, because it was as you were setting out a bowl of M&Ms that the doorbell rang, signaling the first guest's arrival.  
  
"WELCOME TO THE PARTY!" Papyrus greeted excitedly after opening the door.  
  
"Who said that?!" a voice barked, and there was a sudden growl.  
  
There was a sigh. "Relax, Doggo. You should recognize Papyrus' voice by now."  
  
"(You've heard him scolding you enough for smoking dog treats at your post, after all.)"  
  
Three dog monsters carefully made their way inside. One was looking fairly agitated and wearing an eclectic selection of clothes, the other two were wearing matching black outfits and wielding battleaxes decorated in Christmas garlands.  
  
"_____! LET ME INTRODUCE YOU! THIS IS DOGGO, DOGAMY, AND DOGARESSA! THEY'RE PART OF THE SNOWDIN UNIT OF THE ROYAL GUARD! GUYS, THIS IS MY FRIEND, _____!" Papyrus beamed.  
  
"_____?" Dogamy questioned.  
  
"(You don't mean THAT, _____, do you?)" Dogaressa asked.  
  
Both began to sniff at you cautiously, clearly suspicious.  
  
"_____? Like the king warned us?!" Doggo's growling began again with vigor as he shifted his head back and forth looking for you.  
  
"Uh...." You were tense and had no idea what to do. Papyrus had warned you that the Royal Guard knew who you were, but this was your first time meeting any of them besides Undyne.  
  
"Hey! She's my friend, too, so knock it off! Doggo, down!" Undyne glared sternly.  
  
"Yes, sir!" Doggo barked, immediately dropping to lay on the floor, panting excitedly.  
  
"Yes, ma'am."  
  
"(Sorry, Captain.)"  
  
"well, this is entertaining. the party's just begun and _____ is already getting **hounded.** "  
  
"SANS!" Papyrus groaned. You couldn't help but agree with him.  
  
Time passed and more and more guests arrived. Some you knew, but most of them you'd never met before. There was Bratty and Catty, Aaron, Napstablook, Shyren, Greater Dog, Lesser Dog, and Vulkin.  
  
"Er... hi there..." you nervously greeted Greater Dog, who seemed to have no concept of personal space and was currently pressed up against you, looking down at you and panting happily.  
  
*BARK!* Greater Dog barked at the acknowledgement and somehow managed to push even further against you.  
  
"Easy there, big guy." you placed your hand on his head to try and push him away a bit, as he was getting awfully close to your face, but this seemed to be the wrong move if you wanted more space.  
  
Greater Dog began to wiggle in excitement, causing your hand to rub against his head.  
  
*Bark!* You glanced at your other hand and found Lesser Dog was now pressing his head against your palm, tail wagging faster and faster.  
  
"Hey! Don't leave us out!"  
  
"(We want to be petted, too!)"  
  
Dogamy and Dogaressa, too, began to crowd close to you, wanting their turn to be petted.  
  
"Did someone mention petting?!" Doggo was drawn to the wiggling mass of excited dogs.  
  
This was the scene Toriel and Frisk were greeted by as Sans let them in the door.  
  
"Good evening, Sans! Merry Chr-oh my!" Toriel blinked at the writhing mass of excited dogs piled around you.  
  
"merry chrome eye? i think i'll stick with my usual sockets, thanks."  
  
"Erm... What exactly is going on over there?"  
  
"huh. looks like _____ is growing really **pup** ular with the Royal Guard." Sans shrugged.  
  
Toriel let out an amused snort at the pun, before her concerned expression returned. "Are you sure it is safe to be around her?"  
  
"yeah, she's harmless. i think there's a bigger risk of her drowning in dogs than hurting anyone here." Sans reassured her.  
  
The two of them watched as Papyrus waded into the pool of dogs, reached in and pulled you out, holding you above his head and out of the reach of the dogs. Well, with the exception of Annoying Dog, who was wrapped around your head like a furry, living hat.  
  
"Alright, break it up!" Undyne ordered, dispersing the dogs. Papyrus placed you back on your feet, and Annoying Dog tumbled off your head and rolled under the table.  
  
"Thanks for the rescue." you laughed.  
  
You were almost knocked off your feet as you were suddenly tackled around the waist. You glanced down to find Frisk grinning up at you with their arms wrapped around you in a tight hug.  
  
"FRISK! YOU'RE HERE!" Papyrus exclaimed excitedly.  
  
'Hello, Papyrus! Hello, _____! I'm so happy to finally get to see you again!' Frisk released you and signed.  
  
'Hello, Frisk. I am happy to see you, too!' you signed back awkwardly.  
  
Frisk gasped in surprise.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH! I SEE YOU ARE IMPRESSED WITH THE FACT THAT I HAVE BEEN TEACHING _____ SIGN LANGUAGE!" Papyrus beamed.  
  
'That's amazing! Did you learn it for me?' Frisk signed to you.  
  
'Thank you. I learn it to better understand you. I still have much to learn, though.' you signed back, pausing in the middle as you tried to remember exactly how to sign what you wanted to say.  
  
'You are doing very well!' Frisk was grinning widely at you.  
  
"Good evening, child." Toriel greeted you after approaching, a friendly, if cautious, look on her face.  
  
"Oh! Er... Hello, your majesty..." you fidgeted nervously. She did not seem to be hostile towards you, but she'd also forbid Frisk from seeing you since the fair, so you weren't quite sure what to make of the situation. After all, she may only be attending the party with you here to be polite to Papyrus.  
  
"So, this is the human everyone's been making such a big fuss about?" a voice you didn't recognize spoke up.  
  
You looked around in confusion for a moment before you noticed that the potted flower Toriel was carrying had a face.  
  
"Howdy! I'm Flowey! Flowey the flower! It's nice to meetcha!" Flowey winked at you.  
  
You blinked at Flowey, momentarily surprised, though you're not sure why. It wasn't like there weren't weirder monsters at this very party. Heck, Sans was just on the other side of the room tossing hot dogs into a small, cheerful, volcano monster, and was that... an airplane wearing a hat in the corner of the room with Aaron hitting on it? You hadn't been introduced to that monster yet.  
  
You shook yourself out of your surprised stupor. "Oh, um, hi. I'm _____. It's nice to meet you, too."  
  
"Gee. You're a little slow on the uptake, aren't ya?" Flowey's smile took on a notably more mocking look.  
  
"There was no need for that." Toriel scolded.  
  
Frisk snapped their fingers to get Flowey's attention and signed: 'You shouldn't be so mean, Flowey.'  
  
"I'M SURE FLOWEY DIDN'T MEAN TO SOUND SO RUDE..." Papyrus tried to defend the little flower, but he couldn't think of a particularly nice way that Flowey could have meant that comment.  
  
"You're right. I'm sorry." Flowey apologized, although you got the sense that he didn't really mean it.  
  
"That's alright." You decided it wasn't worth arguing over.  
  
"THERE IS PLENTY OF FOOD AND DRINK AVAILABLE IF YOU ARE HUNGRY!" Papyrus opted to change the topic.  
  
"That sounds lovely, Papyrus. I also brought some butterscotch cinnamon pies. I gave them to Sans to set out."  
  
"WOWIE! YOUR PIES ARE ALWAYS AMAZING! THANK YOU FOR BRINGING SOME!"  
  
Toriel smiled warmly at Papyrus' enthusiasm. "Of course. It was my pleasure." she turned to Frisk. "Come now, Frisk, let us get you some dinner before you get the chance to fill up on sweets."  
  
Frisk nodded and the two of them walked over to the buffet.  
  
Papyrus turned to you. "THAT WENT WELL! SHE DIDN'T TRY TO SET YOU ON FIRE, OR ANYTHING!"  
  
Your eyes widened. "W-was that a possibility??"  
  
Papyrus thought about this for a moment. "WELL, NOT UNLESS YOU TRIED TO HURT FRISK."  
  
"Please don't scare me like that..."  
  
"NYEH... SORRY."  
  
The moment was interrupted as the main lights flickered out, leaving only the strings of Christmas lights. The music that had been playing stopped, and suddenly switched tracks, and there was a murmur of confusion. The front door then swung open and a billow of fog drifted in.  
  
You looked over to see Alphys face-palming, and groaning to no one in particular. "Oh, no..."  
  
"Oh, yes!" A figure formed in the smoke, and spotlights you hadn't even noticed before lit up, focused on the figure. "The party may now officially begin, for I have arrived!~"  
  
The smoke cleared, revealing Mettaton posing dramatically, many of the partygoers began to cheer and clap. His entrance made, he stood up straight and snapped his fingers, allowing the lights and music to flicker back to normal before striding inside. To your surprise, he was shortly followed by a very amused looking Mariana, who set a fog machine just inside the door before shutting it behind her.  
  
"Good evening, everyone! Papyrus, _____!" he nodded in greeting to the two of you, who were closest to the door. He then turned to address Mariana who was trying to wave away some of the smoke. "Ah, and thank you, my dear! My entrance went off splendidly thanks to your help!"  
  
"Any time." she smiled, then spotted you and Papyrus and immediately came over as Mettaton walked further into the house. "Hey! Sorry I'm late!"  
  
"HUMAN! THANK YOU FOR COMING! I WAS BEGINNING TO WORRY THAT YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE IT!"  
  
"I wouldn't dream of missing the hottest party in Monstertown, Papyrus." She grinned at him, and he flushed proudly at the compliment.  
  
"Hey, Mariana! So, what was up with the fog and light show, there?"  
  
"Oh, that. That guy was standing outside when I got here. He was trying to decide on the best way to make his entrance, so I offered to help. I kind of got the impression that he'd been standing there for a while." The smirk on her face told you exactly what she thought of that.  
  
You laughed. "How does it not surprise me that Mettaton would do something like that?"  
  
"Wait... Mettaton? You mean the movie star?" Mariana's amusement turned to surprise.  
  
"IN THE FLESH! EXCEPT HIS FLESH IS ACTUALLY METAL..."  
  
"Oh my god, that was him?!"  
  
"You didn't realize??" you asked.  
  
"No! It was dark outside, and in here there was still all the smoke, and I didn't get a good look and OH MY GOD WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE ON A FIRST NAME BASIS WITH A MOVIE STAR?!"  
  
You watched in amusement as Mariana got all excited and flustered.  
  
"I'm going to guess you didn't realize that Alphys was the one who built him, either, huh?"  
  
"She WHAT?! How am I just learning this NOW?!" She spotted Alphys chatting with Sans on the couch and stormed off towards her. "Alphys! How could you not tell me?!"  
  
You and Papyrus watched her go. "Well... She seemed excited." you commented.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH. PERFECTLY UNDERSTANDABLE. METTATON IS THE SEXIEST RECTANGLE TO ESCAPE THE UNDERGROUND."  
  
You stared at Papyrus with an eyebrow raised at that comment. He blushed a bit, and changed the subject.  
  
"SO, THAT'S JUST ABOUT EVERYONE, THEN, EXCEPT FOR THE KING."  
  
You grimaced. Maybe you'd get lucky and he wouldn't show up.  
  
Papyrus realized this probably wasn't the best topic to switch to, and tried again. "YOU HAVE NOT EATEN YET! LET'S GO GET YOU SOME FOOD!"  
  
Papyrus grabbed your hand and pulled you through the crowd of monsters to the buffet table. He grabbed both you and himself a plate, and you both began piling them with food.  
  
"Hey, you punks! Over here!" Undyne waved the two of you over to where she was seated with Frisk, Toriel, Flowey, and an armless monster, who were all eating their own plates of food.  
  
You and Papyrus made your way over and joined them.  
  
Frisk immediately waved to get your attention. 'This is my friend! His name is Monster Kid. We go to school together.'  
  
"Monster Kid?? That's an... interesting name. It's nice to meet you."  
  
"Likewise." Monster Kid responded around a mouthful of food. He flushed a bit when Toriel cleared her throat and gave him a stern look because of his manners.  
  
"So, what do you think of the party so far?" Undyne asked you.  
  
"I'm having fun. There's a lot more people here than I expected, though. I originally thought Papyrus was going overboard on the food preparation, but now I'm a little worried there won't be enough!" you laughed.  
  
"I hope there's still some candy left for later! Ms. Toriel said we had to finish our dinners first before we could have any." Monster Kid spoke up, this time making sure to swallow his bite of food.  
  
You briefly wondered how the kid was managing to eat without getting food all over himself since he didn't have any arms. Your question was answered as he leaned towards his plate and a serpentine tongue darted out and grabbed a meatball.  
  
_"Well, that's better than him having to shove his face into the food, I guess?"_  
  
"DO NOT WORRY! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE PREPARED A PLETHORA OF CULINARY MASTERPIECES AND SNACKS FOR THIS EVENING! THERE SHOULD BE NO DANGER OF US RUNNING OUT!"  
  
'Did you try some new recipes, Papyrus? These meatballs are really good.' Frisk signed.  
  
"I CANNOT TAKE CREDIT FOR THAT ONE. UNDYNE HELPED PREPARE SOME OF THE FOOD, AND THE MEATBALLS WERE AMONG THEM." Papyrus tried a bite of one of the meatballs on his plate. "WOWIE! YOU'RE RIGHT! THESE ARE VERY GOOD!"  
  
"I wasn't the one who made them." Undyne smirked.  
  
"NYEH? WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"  
  
"_____ practically begged me to let her make the sauce and meatballs. How could I say no?" Undyne's smirk grew into a grin.  
  
"I did NOT beg! I simply asked!" you retorted.  
  
"_____? YOU MADE THIS?"  
  
"Uh, yeah... It's not a big deal. It's just a recipe my mom used to make for us when I was a kid. I thought this would be a good opportunity to try and make them myself."  
  
You found yourself blushing as Papyrus' eye sockets grew wide with wonder, a light blush dusting his cheeks.  
  
"NO BIG DEAL? I HAD NO IDEA YOUR FAMILY HAD A LEGACY OF PASTA EXPERTISE! AND FOR YOU TO SHARE THAT WITH US IS A GREAT GIFT!"  
  
"'Legacy of pasta expertise'? It's just my mom's recipe, Paps, it's nothing that grand..."  
  
"THERE IS NO NEED TO BE SO HUMBLE, _____! THIS IS AN EXCELLENT ADDITION TO THE PARTY! WITH YOUR SAUCE AND MEATBALLS AND MY ARTISAN'S HAND-CRAFTED SPAGHETTI, I'D SAY THAT TOGETHER WE'VE CRAFTED ONE OF THE GREATEST FOODS OF ALL TIME!" Papyrus beamed excitedly, and you couldn't help but smile along with him.  
  
Your smile turned into flat-out laughter as Frisk held up a strand of spaghetti that was CLEARLY not cooked properly and raised an eyebrow at you. "I think we just may have, Paps." You snickered, taking a bite of your own vaguely-crunchy spaghetti.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Time passed and you found you were really enjoying yourself. You chatted with various monsters, sang along to the Christmas songs being played, and just generally enjoyed the atmosphere. You were so distracted, in fact, that you hadn't even noticed to arrival of another visitor until his deep voice boomed over the music.  
  
"Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas, everyone!"  
  
You turned away from Bratty and Catty, who had been telling you about how Alphys used to take them on trips to the garbage dump, to see who had just arrived. You shouldn't have been surprised, really. Well, in a way, you weren't. There was Asgore. He was late, but you weren't too surprised that he had come. After all, Toriel was here. What DID surprise you was the fact that he was dressed like Santa Claus and carrying an absolutely ENORMOUS green sack.  
  
"OH MY GOD! IT'S **SANTA!!!** " Papyrus yelled. You saw Asgore immediately brace himself, though he was still nearly knocked off his feet when Papyrus collided with him, wrapping him in a big hug.  
  
They were soon joined by all the children who were attending the party, all of them excited to see Santa.  
  
"alright, kids. why don't we let santa sit down? it's a long trip here from the north pole, you know." Sans gently parted the crowd of children and lead Asgore over to a chair. He sat the sack down next to it before sitting down.  
  
"It is nice to see you children again this year. Have you all been good?" Asgore asked, smiling at the sea of children, and Papyrus, that had settled around him.  
  
The children all nodded and called out about how good they'd been this year.  
  
"Very good! Since you've all been so well behaved, I've brought you each a little gift!" The children cheered as Asgore dug through his bag for the first gift. "Let's see here... This one is for Snowy."  
  
A monster that seemed to be party bird, part reptile, and part ice wiggled his way forward and hopped onto Asgore's lap. "That's me! I've been very n- **ice** this year!" Asgore chuckled politely.  
  
"Of course. Now, tell me, Snowy... Is there anything in particular you'd like this year?"  
  
"I'd like to be a famous comedian, like **snow** other!"  
  
"Well, that's not something I can give you, but I'm sure if you continue to work hard you'll be able to achieve your dreams." Asgore smiled. "For now, why don't you take this?" He handed Snowy a present.  
  
"Thanks, Santa!" Snowy accepted the present and hopped down off Asgore's lap.  
  
This continued for a while. It wasn't just the children, either, that Asgore had brought gifts for. It seemed he'd brought gifts for all the monsters at the party. Most of the adults chose to simply accept the gift and thank him, although a few got into the spirit of things and sat on his lap.  
  
Papyrus had made his way back over towards you after getting his present, a new action figure for his collection, which he was proudly showing off.  
  
"THE PACKAGING SAYS THAT HIS NAME IS JACK SKELLINGTON!" Papyrus informed you.  
  
"Yep! He's the main character from the movie, the Nightmare Before Christmas. It's a great movie. We'll definitely have to watch it!" you smiled at Papyrus.  
  
"A MOVIE STARRING A SKELETON? WOWIE!"  
  
There was a tap at your shoulder, and you turned to find Mariana there, holding a present. "Hey, it's your turn."  
  
"My turn??"  
  
"Yeah, to get a present from Santa." she held up the gift in her hand, which you noticed had her name on it. "He's been calling you, you know."  
  
You turned and saw Asgore glancing through the crowd from where he was seated.  
  
_"Oh, no..."_  
  
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, _____? SANTA'S LOOKING FOR YOU!" Papyrus gave you a gentle nudge towards Asgore.  
  
"T-that's alright. I-I'm good." You shook your head.  
  
"YOU'RE NOT AFRAID OF SANTA, ARE YOU??" Papyrus looked at you, confused.  
  
"What? No. Paps, you know who he is, don't you?" You hissed quietly to him.  
  
Papyrus looked even more confused. "OF COURSE I KNOW WHO HE IS. HE'S SANTA."  
  
It occurred to you that wonderful, sweet, oblivious Papyrus somehow did not realize that 'Santa' was, in fact, Asgore.  
  
"No, you don't understand, Papyrus! He's-"  
  
"he's looking for you. let's not keep santa waiting." Sans, who you hadn't even seen approach, cut you off, giving you a stern look.  
  
"What's with you? You're not **actually** afraid of Santa, are you?" Mariana was giving you a searching look.  
  
"No, I-"  
  
"DO NOT WORRY, _____! THERE'S NO NEED TO BE NERVOUS! I WILL COME WITH YOU!"  
  
"Papyr-HEY!" You yelped as Papyrus effortlessly scooped you up, carried you across the room to Asgore, and plopped you in his lap. He placed a hand on your shoulder that was meant to be reassuring, but mostly just prevented you from getting up off Asgore's lap.  
  
"HERE SHE IS, SANTA!" Papyrus grinned.  
  
You looked nervously at Asgore, who seemed equally surprised to have you suddenly in his lap.  
  
"Erm.. ahrm." He cleared his throat. "Good evening, _____. Have you been a good girl this year?"  
  
Your throat felt tight from nervousness, and you didn't really trust yourself to speak, so you settled for nodding.  
  
"Is there anything you'd like for Christmas?" Asgore asked you. You couldn't tell what he was thinking right now, as his expression was carefully guarded.  
  
You shook your head.  
  
"COME NOW, _____. THERE MUST BE SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE FOR CHRISTMAS?"  
  
You looked at Papyrus, who was looking down at you, cheerful, supportive, and curious.  
  
"But, I've already got what I want..." you said, barely above a whisper.  
  
"NYEH?? AND WHAT IS THAT?" Papyrus asked you. You missed Asgore's narrowed, assessing gaze.  
  
"I've got you, Alphys, Undyne, and all my other friends." You told him honestly. It was cheesy, but true. You hadn't expected to have so many new friends, let alone so many new monster friends, by the end of the year.  
  
Papyrus brought his hands up to cover his mouth and his eye sockets began to glisten with unshed tears. He then scooped you up off Asgore's lap into a tight hug.  
  
"I AM HAPPY TO HAVE YOU AS A FRIEND, TOO!"  
  
Asgore watched the display appraisingly, before interrupting. "Hrm. Friendship is, indeed, a marvelous gift." He nodded as Papyrus placed you back on the ground so that you could turn to face Asgore. "Here is your gift from me. May you have a Merry Christmas." he rumbled, his face unreadable once again.  
  
You took the gift he held out to you, your nervousness returning. "T-thanks, Santa..."  
  
"You're welcome." You backed off a bit as he made to stand. "Well, it seems that is the last of the presents I have for here. I must be off, then. I have many more to deliver before the night is through." he smiled at the children who seemed disappointed to see him go, but also eager to see what he'd leave for them at home. "Farewell, everyone! And have a Merry Christmas!"  
  
There were murmurs and calls of farewell to Asgore as he made his way towards the door. He paused briefly to accept a covered platter of food from Alphys and Undyne before heading out the door.  
  
"WELL? AREN'T YOU GOING TO OPEN YOUR PRESENT?" Papyrus asked you.  
  
You looked down at the box in your hands and felt a wave of nervousness. What could Asgore have possibly gotten you? Was it coal? You decided you really didn't want to know at this moment. "I... I think I'll save this for later." You swallowed nervously. "I'm going to go put this up in my room." You broke away from Papyrus and headed up the stairs before he could question you about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have part 1 of the Christmas party! Part 2 will be on Saturday. For those of you who are curious, the party was the extra-long chapter that I was debating on splitting a few weeks ago. Ultimately, this was the best course of action, especially since I've got another super-long chapter coming up that I don't have an easy way to split. With that one, I'll probably skip the normally scheduled update immediately after it, since it's essentially 2 chapters in 1, length-wise. 
> 
> Toriel's still wary, but she's giving Reader a chance. (And just how intimidated can you be of someone who's literally drowning in excited dogs when you walk in?)
> 
> And also, anyone want to speculate on what 'Santa' got Reader for Christmas? :3


	30. ...and Skeleton Kisses

When you returned downstairs, it seemed that everyone had decided to take a cue from Santa and started exchanging gifts. There was wrapping paper everywhere, although you saw several monsters working to clean up the mess before it got too bad.  
  
_"Wait a second... is that monster washing the wrapping paper before putting it in the trash bag??"_  
  
You shook your head, slightly exasperated by the sight, then headed downstairs. Papyrus waved you over to where he and your other friends were gathered by the tree.  
  
"THERE! NOW THAT EVERYONE'S HERE, WE CAN BEGIN EXCHANGING GIFTS!" Papyrus announced.  
  
You watched as gifts were passed around. Frisk and Flowey received the new VR console MEET co. had developed as a gift from Alphys, Undyne, and Asgore. This was followed up by a selection of games that you, Sans, Papyrus, and Toriel had chipped in to buy, and an autographed picture of Mettaton.  
  
'Thank you!' Frisk signed excitedly.  
  
"Great. Now I'll be able to escape this reality when you guys start boring me again." Flowey quipped sarcastically, and received a pinch from Frisk for the remark.  
  
Alphys received several new anime, manga, and figurines for her collection, as well as an autographed picture of Mettaton.  
  
"Oh, wow! I don't know where to start first! Thanks everyone!" She smiled happily.  
  
Undyne received items for maintaining her armor and weapons, anime, the piano sheet music from you, an autographed picture of Mettaton reclining on a piano, and what appeared to be an actual human world history textbook from Toriel. You suspected she wouldn't find that nearly as compelling as she found anime...  
  
"I'll have to try out some of these songs when I get home, and this history book should be awesome! Thanks, nerds!" she flipped through the history book a bit. "Uh... this is a bit wordier than I'm used to..." Sans just snickered in response.  
  
Speaking of Sans, he received joke books, science books, an autographed picture of Mettaton that he casually tossed aside, and... socks? Then, he came to the gift from you. He eyed the wrapping paper curiously.  
  
"What the heck? Did you wrap the gift inside out??" Undyne questioned upon noticing that the white side of the paper was exposed and covered in your handwriting.  
  
Sans began reading the writing covering the wrapping paper. "hm...'i'd tell you a chemistry joke, but i know i wouldn't get a reaction.'" he snorted in amusement and continued, "'have you ever tried to eat a clock? it's very time consuming.'" he snickered, "'i'm reading a book about anti-gravity. it's impossible to put down.'" he laughed at that one.  
  
"UGH! _____? WHY?!" Papyrus whined as Sans continued to read off jokes and puns from the paper and others joined in his laughter.  
  
You looked into Papyrus' eyes, shrugged and told him, "I couldn't resist decorating the wrapping paper like that. I know how much your brother loves **tearable** puns."  
  
You couldn't stop yourself from laughing as Papyrus screeched and both Sans and Toriel howled with laughter at that one.  
  
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'VE DONE! NOW EVERY GIFT HE GIVES WILL BE LIKE THAT!" Papyrus exclaimed.  
  
"you better believe it. hehehehehe." Sans chuckled, winking.  
  
You felt a large, furry hand rest on your shoulder, and turned to see Toriel still trying to recover from her laughter.  
  
"That was a very good one, my child! **Jest** the sort of thing to tickle Sans' **funny bone.** " she winked at you, and you laughed. You'd had no idea the Queen enjoyed puns so much.  
  
"alright, i think we've **pun** ished paps enough for one evening." Sans grinned at Papyrus, who stood there pouting at the excessive use of puns. Sans opened up the gift to reveal a DVD box set.  
  
"It's called 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' and it's an improv comedy show. It's really funny, so I thought you'd get a kick out of it." you explained when Sans looked at the set curiously.  
  
"heh. thanks. i'll have to check it out." Sans smiled.  
  
Mettaton, who was conserving power in his box form now, was next, and received a number of beauty supplies, electronics, and an autographed picture of... himself?? Your gift to him was a copy of the movie, TURBO. It had been a suggestion from Alphys, and although you weren't really sure why she thought a movie about racing snails would appeal to him, she'd been fairly confident with the suggestion. At the very least, it seemed to go over well.  
  
"So many beautiful gifts from so many beautiful people! Thank you!~"  
  
Toriel received cook books, joke books, an autographed copy of the Cooking With a Killer Robot DVD, clothes, and a snail pendant necklace from you.  
  
"Thank you for all your thoughtful gifts." She smiled warmly at everyone.  
  
Papyrus created quite a mess, to the consternation of the little monster who was washing the wrapping paper as she collected it. He, too, received supplies for maintaining his armor, puzzle, cooking, and children's books, another new action figure, an autographed picture of Mettaton and the latest Mettaton movie on DVD, and a couple strategy board games from you.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH! IT IS NO SURPRISE THAT SUCH EXCELLENT FRIENDS WOULD CHOOSE SUCH EXCELLENT GIFTS!"  
  
Even Mariana, who'd been a fairly last-minute invite to the party, received several gifts. You weren't entirely sure which of the gifts had already been purchased, and which were a reaction to her sudden addition to the party list. Well, except for Mettaton's gift to her. You saw him sign a photograph of himself and take a selfie with her earlier in the party. You'd gotten her a make-up case designed to look like the tardis from Doctor Who.  
  
"It folds out?" Mariana gasped in surprise as she opened the make-up case and several trays unfolded with it. "Oh my god! It's bigger on the inside! That's so freaking cool!" She was practically vibrating with nerdy excitement. "Thanks! For all the gifts!" she grinned.  
  
Finally, it was your turn. By this point, you were actually pretty excited. It was like being a kid again. You opened the first gift, from Alphys and Undyne. It was a Princess Mononoke t-shirt, and one of the Ghibli movies you were missing from your collection.  
  
"Oh! I've been meaning to buy this! Thanks!" you grinned at Alphys and Undyne, who seemed pleased by your reaction.  
  
Next, you opened up a poorly wrapped gift that was obviously from Sans. "What the heck?" you pulled out what appeared to be a rather sturdy balloon with your picture on it. That's when it clicked. "It's a punching bag!" you exclaimed.  
  
"fate's favorite." Sans winked at you, and you couldn't help the exasperated laugh that escaped.  
  
"Thanks. Now fate's not the only one who can punch me in the face." you snorted. Papyrus was too busy face-palming at such a weird gift to scold his brother.  
  
The next gift was from Toriel, Frisk, and Flowey. Inside was what appeared to be a hand-knitted sweater, and a framed drawing of you and everyone else.  
  
"I'm sure this sweater will come in handy over the next few months. Thank you, your majesty. And did you draw this for me, Frisk?"  
  
Frisk nodded excitedly then gestured to Flowey and signed, 'Flowey and I made it for you!'  
  
"Hey! Don't drag me into this! I didn't draw that mess! You were so busy whining about not knowing what to get her. All I did was suggest you draw something, and give you a few suggestions." Flowey grumped.  
  
'He was very insistent that I use the perfect colors.' Frisk signed smugly.  
  
"H-hey! If you're going to do something, you may as well do it right! Sheesh!" Flowey sputtered.  
  
"Haha! Well, you did an amazing job! Thank you!" you smiled at them. Frisk grinned happily, and Flowey just grumbled and turned away seemingly embarrassed.  
  
Mariana's gift to you was next. This was a t-shirt and sweatshirt, each featuring the bones of the human skeleton on the front and back.  
  
"Hah! Now I'll really fit in here. Thanks, Mariana." You snorted in amusement.  
  
"Not that you didn't already fit in with these weirdos, but I'm always glad to help!" she chuckled.  
  
Mettaton got you, surprise-surprise, an autographed picture of Mettaton.  
  
"I'm sensing a theme in your choice of gifts, Mettaton." You smirked at him in amusement.  
  
"But of course! You said it yourself, earlier: what better gift could I give my friends than me?"  
  
That wasn't exactly what you meant when you'd been sitting on 'Santa's' lap, but... "Er... Sure, why not? Thanks, Mettaton."  
  
"You are very welcome, mon chéri!"  
  
"THIS ONE'S FROM ME!" Papyrus grinned, handing you the final gift.  
  
You opened the package and found a scrapbook inside.  
  
"I MADE IT MYSELF! TAKE A LOOK!" Papyrus told you excitedly.  
  
You opened up the scrapbook and looked through the pages. You were surprised by just how many pictures and little items Papyrus had held onto. There were pictures of you, Papyrus, and all your friends from nearly the past year. There was you and Papyrus taking a selfie at Marco's, pictures of you hanging out with Papyrus at your apartment or at the park. There were pictures from the fair, before things went to hell. You were smiling and laughing in those pictures, oh how you'd forgotten how much fun you'd had. There were pictures of you and Frisk... Alphys... Undyne... Mariana... There were pictures you remembered being taken, and some you didn't. There were the pictures that Mariana took at Halloween, and even one of you fast asleep with Papyrus on Alphys and Undyne's couch. There were other little scraps, as well. There was a receipt from Marco's that looked like it was from the first time you ate there with Papyrus, seashells from the time you went to the beach, fall leaves, recipes, and more. It was a stunning reminder that, despite all the fear and pain you'd dealt with over the past year, there had been a lot of good times, too. You smiled fondly at all the memories.  
  
"This is amazing. Thank you, Paps." you smiled at him, elated by all the fond memories.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH..." Papyrus blushed proudly. He had watched your face carefully as you'd browsed the scrapbook. He had made it because he wanted to remind you of all the happy times there'd been this past year. From your expression, he knew he had succeeded.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
With the gifts open, everyone returned to mingling and enjoying the party. Gradually people began saying their goodbyes and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas as they headed back to their homes. You had headed up to your room to feed Cleo when Papyrus was flagged down by Mettaton.  
  
"Papyrus, darling!" Mettaton's display lit up happily, as Papyrus came over. "Perfect timing! I was just explaining to Undyne here that these sugar cookies she made would be greatly improved with a sprinkling of MTT brand (Mostly) Edible Glitter! However, she seems skeptical." Mettaton explained.  
  
"I'm not skeptical! I'm telling you flat out that you're wrong!" Undyne growled in annoyance.  
  
"You see? I think a demonstration is in order. You DO have some MTT brand (Mostly) Edible Glitter, don't you?"  
  
"NYEH? WHY, OF COURSE! I ALWAYS MAKE SURE TO HAVE PLENTY AT HAND! LET ME GO GET SOME AND THEN WE CAN DECIDE WHO IS RIGHT!" Papyrus grinned, heading off to the kitchen.  
  
Several minutes passed by, and you finally returned downstairs to the party.  
  
"Hey, _____!" Undyne flagged you down.  
  
"What's up?" You asked.  
  
"Mettaton and I have this bet over whether his crappy glitter would make my amazing sugar cookies better, or just ruin them. We sent Papyrus to get some of the glitter, but it's taking him an awfully long time. You mind going and seeing what the hold-up is?"  
  
"I'm kind of surprised you're not bursting in there yourself." you commented.  
  
"Er... I would, but I don't trust this bucket of bolts not to tamper with the cookies while I'm gone." Undyne shot Mettaton a glare.  
  
"Okay? I'll go see what's taking him so long, then."  
  
You headed into the kitchen and found the place a mess. Papyrus was practically ripping the pantry apart.  
  
"Hey, Paps. Undyne and Mettaton are wondering what's taking so long?"  
  
"I CAN'T FIND THE GLITTER! IT WAS HERE THIS MORNING, I SWEAR IT!" Papyrus opened up another cabinet and began rifling through it.  
  
"You want me to help you look?" you offered.  
  
"THAT WOULD BE A BIG HELP!"  
  
So, you joined Papyrus in searching all the cabinets, even the unlikely ones. However, you both turned up empty handed.  
  
"I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHERE IT COULD HAVE GONE TO!" Papyrus stood in the center of the messy kitchen now, one hand on his chin, the other on his elbow, and tapping his foot as tried to think of what could have happened.  
  
"Maybe Annoying Dog took it? He's always stealing your bones, isn't he?" You joined Papyrus in the center of the mess.  
  
"GAH! I HOPE NOT! IF HE ATE IT, HE'LL BE FARTING SPARKLES FOR DAYS, AND THAT DOG IS ALREADY WEIRD ENOUGH!"  
  
"What is taking so long, darlings?" Mettaton asked as he entered the kitchen doorway. His screen then lit up in a flashy display of colors, and his hands came up to the sides of his... head? It was hard to tell in his box form. He gasped dramatically. "Oh, my!"  
  
You and Papyrus looked at him curious and confused. "What??" you asked.  
  
"Do you two not see what you're standing under?" Metatton pointed above your heads.  
  
You and Papyrus looked up. Your eyes widened in recognition, but Papyrus remained confused.  
  
"IT IS A PLANT DANGLING FROM THE LIGHT FIXTURE."  
  
"Not just ANY plant, darling!~ That plant is called mistletoe!"  
  
"NYEH? MISSILE TOE? IT LOOKS NOTHING LIKE A MISSILE OR A TOE."  
  
"You're missing the point, sweetheart." Mettaton looked slightly put-out by Papyrus' lack of recognition, but immediately perked back up as he explained. "It is human tradition that any two people that meet under the mistletoe must kiss!"  
  
"NYEH?! K-KISS?!" Papyrus' face immediately began to flush.  
  
"Indeed! Just ask dear _____, here!"  
  
Papyrus turned to you. You had remained silent, too stunned to react as they spoke. Now, all eyes were on you.  
  
"IS IT REALLY A HUMAN TRADITION THAT PEOPLE UNDER THE MISSILE TOE MUST KISS?" Papyrus flushed even brighter as he asked you.  
  
"W-well, it is a tradition, yes, but that doesn't mean you have to follow it! Different people have different traditions, after all, and no one is expected to follow all of them. So, you really don't have to..." you explained nervously.  
  
"DO... DO YOU FOLLOW THE MISSILE TOE TRADITION?"  
  
"Honestly? No. Can't say I ever have."  
  
"OH."  
  
There was a horribly awkward silence with you and Papyrus avoiding each other's gazes. You considered fleeing the room, but Mettaton was still blocking the door. You were just wondering how hard it would be to push the annoying robot out of the way when Papyrus spoke up.  
  
"W-WOULD YOU..." You glanced back towards Papyrus who was still avoiding looking at you and was shifting nervously. "W-WOULD IT BE ALRIGHT IF... IF I... TRIED THE MISSILE TOE TRADITION? WITH YOU?"  
  
You gaped at Papyrus as he jittered nervously, your own face turning crimson.  
  
_"Papyrus wants to... kiss me??"_ Your mind was whirling, but somehow your brain remained empty of any coherent thoughts.  
  
Papyrus grew even more jittery in the silence, and was just about to make up an excuse and dive out the window when you spoke up.  
  
"If... If you want to..."  
  
Papyrus' eye sockets widened at your agreement, and he finally looked back to your face. You were blushing brightly, and your breathing seemed more labored than normal. You were shaking with anticipation, though he wasn't sure how much of that was actually you shaking, and how much of it was from his own twitchy bones.  
  
Papyrus turned to face you fully and started to slowly lean down towards you, giving you plenty of time to change your mind. He watched your eyes drift shut, and his did the same as he leaned in closer.  
  
The sounds of the party in the next room were drowned out by the blood rushing through your veins as your heart pounded. Your eyes were closed, afraid that if you watched, you might chicken out at the last moment. Determined not to let the moment pass, you leaned forward. Your lips came into contact with teeth, and your breath hitched slightly before you pressed your lips more firmly against him.  
  
It was... kind of weird, kissing a skeleton. He didn't have any lips, of course, so that left you doing all the work. Not that it was bad, per-say, just... different. What confused you, though, was, despite wanting to kiss you, Papyrus wasn't really doing anything.  
  
"NYEH?!"  
  
Papyrus' confused exclamation broke you from your thoughts, and you realized that the teeth you were kissing did not open to release said exclamation. Your eyes flew open and you found two round pinpricks of light staring back at you from the eye sockets right in front of your face.  
  
You threw yourself backwards, tripping over a bag of flour and landing on your ass. "S-Sans?!" you choked out.  
  
There stood Sans, right between where you and Papyrus had been standing, with Papyrus behind him looking shocked and confused, and Sans casually facing you, his lazy grin looking more dangerous than usual.  
  
"wow. not even gonna buy me dinner first, huh?" he winked at you.  
  
You could do nothing but sputter incoherently as your brain seemed stuck in an infinite loop of 'You kissed Sans'. Papyrus seemed to be in a similar stupor.  
  
Sans looked up at the mistletoe. "huh. looks like there's a weed growing from the ceiling. don't worry. i'll get it." He raised his hand and encased the plant in his magic, using his power to rip it to pieces before dumping it in the trash can.  
  
Sans glanced at the doorway, but Mettaton had made a discrete retreat already.  
  
"W-WHAT THE HECK, SANS?!" Papyrus finally seemed to come to his senses.  
  
Sans looked over at his brother. "what's wrong, bro?"  
  
"YOU... YOU JUST... HERE! AND THEN..." Papyrus flailed dramatically at Sans and then over to the trash can as he stumbled over his words.  
  
"you're, uh, gonna have to use more words. i'm not sure i follow."  
  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, SANS?!"  
  
"oh. we ran out of ketchup, so I came to get some more." Sans shrugged.  
  
"BUT DID YOU HAVE TO... I MEAN, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE! AND THEN THE MISSILE TOE! YOU DESTROYED IT, SANS!"  
  
"mistletoe? is that what that was? huh. well, it's a pretty dumb tradition, anyway. i mean, can you imagine getting stuck under it with jerry?"  
  
"PLEASE DO NOT SUGGEST SUCH HORRIBLE THINGS, SANS!" Papyrus somehow managed to pale at the thought.  
  
"Er... who's Jerry?" you asked.  
  
"YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW." Papyrus seemed annoyed just by mentioning him. You decided that anyone Papyrus couldn't bring himself to like was probably worth avoiding...  
  
Sans was looking at you deviously, and you decided it was probably better to escape before he could put whatever idea he had into motion.  
  
"A-anyway, I'll just... er... go let the others know that you're out of glitter..." You carefully stood and exited the room with haste.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You spent the rest of the evening avoiding Sans like the plague. He was still shooting you dangerous looks whenever he caught your eye. This, unfortunately, meant you were avoiding Papyrus, too, as Sans made sure to stick close to his brother.  
  
Alphys sighed to Undyne and Mettaton as she watched Sans shoot you another glare. "Operation: Mistletoe was a bust."  
  
"It was a good plan, Alphy. We just failed to take Sans into account." Undyne consoled her.  
  
"Indeed. Do not feel bad! While they did not actually kiss, they are now both fully aware that they wanted to." Mettaton pointed out.  
  
"Y-you think so?" Alphys looked at Mettaton hopefully.  
  
"Of course!" Undyne encouraged. "This means the next plan will be even more likely to succeed!"  
  
"Especially since the next plot was crafted by master of romance, yours truly!" Mettaton boasted.  
  
"I hope you're right. They both deserve to be happy." Alphys glanced once again at you and then Papyrus.  
  
"Don't scrap those fan fics just yet, Alphy! We're just getting warmed up!" Undyne grinned.  
  
All of them were oblivious to the dark glare coming from across the room as Sans watched them plot.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Finally, the lasts of the guests had left for the night. Alphys and Undyne had stayed behind to help with the clean-up, for which you were eternally grateful, as their presence dulled the awkwardness between you and the brothers.  
  
You had finished changing into your pajamas and were just about to crawl into bed for some much-needed sleep when you spotted the gift from Asgore. You'd honestly forgotten about it, but there it sat on your desk.  
  
_"Do I even want to know what's in that box?"_ You wondered dubiously. _"It's probably coal. ... If I'm lucky."_  
  
You grimaced, but the pull of morbid curiosity eventually won out. You picked up the box and tore off the paper. The box inside was non-descript, and you slowly lifted the lid. As soon as you did so, the trapped scent wafted to your nose.  
  
_"Is that... cinnamon?"_  
  
You opened the lid further and glanced inside. There was a batch of cinnamon bunnies inside, as well as a note. You pulled out the note and unfolded it. The script was bold and elegant:  
  
_"I do not know if you can remember, but I hope these treats remind you of happier times. I know they do for me. May you have a Merry Christmas. - Asgore Dreemurr"_  
  
You looked back inside the box at the cinnamon bunnies... no... wait... something was off about them... You pulled one out of the box and held it up so you could see it better. What you had initially thought to be ears actually seemed to be horns, with the ears actually being molded flaps on the side.  
  
"Oh my god, they're... they're just like the ones Moira gave him for his wedding..." you spoke out loud into the quiet of your room.  
  
You had expected something terrible. Something to match the hatred he no doubt felt for you. You began to doubt that assumption. This gift, and the note with it, didn't suggest that he hated you at all. If anything, it suggested that he, too, regretted what had happened afterwards. If that was true, then maybe reconciliation with him wasn't a pipe dream, after all...  
  
As your fear of Asgore's hatred ebbed, you felt a warmth replace it. A few silent tears of relief ran down your face as you once again felt hope that you weren't beyond redemption in Asgore's eyes. You thought of all the joy Moira had felt spending time with Asgore and Gerson. They'd been so kind to her, accepted all of her including the magic that her own village would eventually condemn her for being born with. Now that you were thinking about it, Asgore epitomized everything fairytales emphasized in the beloved and just ruler. He was kind, generous, beloved by his people and understanding of strangers, powerful, and filled with love. You couldn't help but admire him.  
  
As that thought occurred, the warmth in your chest peaked and you felt it flow throughout you, gentle, and familiar, and **right**. You lifted your free hand and watched as a pale white glow began to emanate from it.  
  
"Magic? My trigger!" You gasped.  
  
Admiration. That's why his anger at you had hurt so much. Somewhere, deep within yourself, you'd maintained that long-held admiration of Asgore. And Papyrus... he was so bright and optimistic and steadfast... You'd be a fool not to admire him.  
  
You smiled as your thoughts caused your magic to glow brighter, and you watched it flow over your skin like a stream of warm water. It gave you a sense of completion to feel it flowing freely at last. It was a piece of who you are that had been missing until this moment, and, like a traveler who's been dying of thirst that suddenly stumbles upon an oasis, you never wanted to go back to living without it again.  
  
You excitedly thought of waking Papyrus to show him, but it was late enough and you had an early day tomorrow. Besides, what better way to start off Christmas?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... Reader DID kiss a skeleton in this chapter. Just not the right one. (You didn't think Sans was going to let it be that easy, did you?) Stupid, over-protective, teleporting skeletons...
> 
> And Asgore's gift... It's the first real sign Reader's gotten that Asgore may not hate her as much as she thinks, and that hope is what allowed her to finally see past the fear of rejection to the fact that she did, and still does, admire him. (Of course, she's still unaware of the fates of the humans who fell into the Underground, but... yeah.) This is why her magic was able to trigger around him and Papyrus, because she admires them both. In the fight with Undyne, she didn't really know her well, and she definitely has some self-esteem issues so she doesn't really admire herself. 
> 
> So, now she has what she needs to finally start learning to control her magic!
> 
> Here's a forewarning to all you guys: I MAY cut the updates down to once a week. You see, I'm a World of Warcraft nerd at heart, and a lot of my time for writing this comes from the fact that WoW has been in a nearly year-long lull of no new content. That, however, will be changing soon. The pre-expansion patch will be coming out within the next month, and then the expansion at the end of next month. If I'm not done writing this by then, chances are I'm going to have a lot less time dedicated to writing it at that point. I won't be abandoning it, that's for certain. I've put a lot of time and effort into this, and I've got the major plot points planned out already, so it's pretty much just a case of filling in the gaps between those points appropriately. Unfortunately, I still can't gauge how many chapters that will take, so I have no real estimate of how long it will take to finish. If it does come to that point, I'll let you guys know in one of the chapter notes. Here's hoping I can get this wrapped up nicely before it comes to that, huh? =)


	31. Home for the Holidays

You were startled from your slumber by your door slamming open.  
  
"_____! WAKE UP! IT'S CHRISTMAS! SANTA CAME!!" Papyrus yelled excitedly as he burst into your room.  
  
"Who-wha?!" you yelped, still half-asleep and confused as Papyrus threw you over his shoulder and bounded back out of the room.  
  
His next stop was Sans' room, where the sleepy skeleton was tossed onto Papyrus' other shoulder, where he lay like a lazy sack of potatoes. Papyrus then charged down the stairs and dumped the two of you onto the couch, startling Cleo who had been dozing on the back of it.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus laughed excitedly as he began to sort through the gifts under the tree.  
  
You rubbed the sleep from your eyes. "Uh... What time is it?" you groaned.  
  
"time to open presents, apparently." Sans shrugged lazily at you.  
  
"LOOK, SANS! THIS ONE'S FOR YOU!" Papyrus piped up and thrust a gift into Sans' lap.  
  
"thanks, bro." Sans gave his brother a sleepy smile before casually tearing off the wrapping paper. Inside was a t-shirt that said 'I make horrible science puns, but only periodically'.  
  
"UGH. THAT IS SADLY APPROPRIATE." Papyrus grimaced at the punny shirt.  
  
"what can i say? santa really gets me." Sans grinned.  
  
Papyrus then opened one of his gifts. It was an action figure of Mettaton in his humanoid form. "WOWIE! SANTA MUST HAVE GOTTEN MY LETTER! OH! JUST LOOK HOW DETAILED THIS IS!"  
  
After he'd examined his new figurine for a minute, he gently set it aside to grab another present.  
  
"HERE, _____! THIS ONE'S FOR YOU!"  
  
You stared in surprise. You hadn't really expected anything for yourself. You took the gift and noted that it was labeled to you, from 'Santa'. You wondered for a brief moment if Asgore actually went to all the monster's houses and left presents from 'Santa'. However, the handwriting didn't match the note that was upstairs with the cinnamon monsters. Papyrus still believed in Santa, so it wouldn't be from him... That left one option...  
  
Your eyes shifted over to Sans. He caught your questioning gaze. "don't look so surprised. **sans** ta must've realized you'd be here on christmas morning and left you a present so no one would be disappointed." he shrugged, casting a glance at Papyrus.  
  
Your eyes narrowed briefly as you heard him say "Sansta". So, he was behind the gifts. It made sense. You were vaguely impressed that he'd apparently taken the time to carefully wrap each gift instead of his sloppy wrapping job from last night's presents. Then again, he did love his brother very much, so maybe you shouldn't be surprised that he'd go the extra mile for him.  
  
Then, there was how he'd phrased the last bit and glanced at Papyrus... It wasn't you he was concerned about disappointing, but you both knew that Papyrus would feel bad if you didn't get anything.  
  
You nodded your understanding and opened the gift. Inside was... another gift. You cocked an eyebrow at that, and saw Sans' grin grow wider out of the corner of your eye. You opened the second gift... Inside was a third wrapped box.  
  
"NYEH??" Papyrus expressed his confusion as he watched.  
  
You opened the next gift... and the next... and next... each box gradually growing smaller and smaller until finally, when you opened the 10th nested gift, you found a gift card.  
  
"Whew! I was starting to get worried!" you chuckled, and examined the gift card. "Ooh! Steam gift card! Nice! I'll have to keep an eye out for sales and make the most of this." You grinned.  
  
"THAT WAS WEIRD. I WONDER WHY SANTA WRAPPED IT LIKE THAT?" Papyrus seemed confused and vaguely suspicious.  
  
"erm..." Sans tried to think of a good excuse, but he was still half-asleep.  
  
"... I'm sure he just wanted it to be a surprise. There aren't a lot of gifts that are small and flat like this, so it would have been easy to guess if he wrapped it as it is."  
  
"AH! THAT DOES MAKE SENSE!" Papyrus grinned.  
  
Sans gave you an appreciative smile for the help.  
  
You watched as Sans and Papyrus continued to open their gifts. By the time they were done, the living room was a mess of wrapping paper and presents.  
  
"I THINK THAT'S ALL THE PRESENTS!" Papyrus announced after checking under the tree for any he may have missed.  
  
"Well..." you started, hesitating.  
  
"_____?" Papyrus turned to you. "IS THERE A GIFT I'M MISSING?"  
  
"Well, no. Not exactly. But there is something I wanted to show you..."  
  
Out of the corner of your eye you saw Sans' gaze narrow. Seeing how nervous you were, his thoughts had turned to the mistletoe incident from last night. All eyes were now on you.  
  
You fidgeted a bit nervously. "I hope I can get this right..." you mumbled, and held up your hand, pushing your thoughts passed your nervousness and towards how much you admired Papyrus. After a moment, your hand began to glow.  
  
Both skeletons looked on in surprise.  
  
"YOUR MAGIC! YOU CAN TAP INTO IT NOW!" Papyrus gasped, his eyes sparkling in delight. He then picked you up into a tight hug. "THIS IS WONDERFUL!"  
  
"heh. grats. when'd you manage that?" Sans asked, curiously.  
  
"Last night." you said as Papyrus set you back down. "After we all headed off to bed, I realized I hadn't opened the gift from As-er... Santa." you quickly corrected yourself before Papyrus could notice your near slip-up. "Turns out it was actually a gift from the King... Some cinnamon buns shaped like him, just like the ones my past life, Moira, made. It... it let me realize that he might not hate me as much as I thought... and... and that helped me realize just why that was so important to me." You nodded towards Sans, acknowledging his advice that your fear of Asgore's rejection was meaningful.  
  
"you figured out your trigger?" Sans asked.  
  
"Yes." you nodded.  
  
"THAT'S AMAZING! WHAT IS IT?!" Papyrus asked excitedly.  
  
You looked at Papyrus, a soft smile on your face as you took in how excited he was for you. You felt the warmth of your magic flowing through you as you admired how kind and loving he was. "It's admiration." you stated simply.  
  
"WOWIE! SO, THAT MEANS YOU ADMIRE THE KING?" You nodded. "AND DOES THAT MEAN YOU ADMIRE... ME?"  
  
You grinned. "Well, of course! How could I not admire someone as great as the Great Papyrus?"  
  
Papyrus blushed at the compliment.  
  
"WAIT UNTIL UNDYNE HEARS OF THIS!"  
  
"Do you mind not telling her right away? I actually want to show her in person."  
  
"OF COURSE! IT'LL BE A MARVELOUS SURPRISE!" Papyrus agreed.  
  
"heh. hopefully she doesn't crush you in her excitement." Sans chuckled. "anyway, think it's about time we had some breakfast and got ready to leave." Sans looked at you pointedly.  
  
"Oh! Yeah. If we're lucky, we can make it to my parent's house by noon." you agreed.  
  
"YES! WHY DON'T YOU TWO START GETTING READY WHILE I MAKE BREAKFAST?" Papyrus offered.  
  
"sounds good."  
  
"Sure thing."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
After a quick breakfast and a few minutes to let Papyrus get ready, the three of you headed out. You'd opted to wear some jeans and the new sweater Toriel had given you. Sans was wearing his usual get-up, but with his new science pun shirt, and Papyrus had opted for casual clothes including a silly Christmas sweater.  
  
"Uh... There's no easy way to put this, so I'll just spit it out." you spoke up as you were driving. "I just want to establish some ground rules about the visit with my family."  
  
"ground rules?" Sans asked suspiciously. "what? you think your family might react poorly to a couple of monsters in their house or something?"  
  
"SANS! DON'T BE RUDE!" Papyrus scolded.  
  
"No, actually. They might be curious, but I have no doubt that they will neither be offended by, nor will they try to offend you." You stated in annoyance. "What I'm worried about is how they'll react if they learn everything that's happened to me since I moved to Ebott City..."  
  
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" Papyrus asked.  
  
"Well... I haven't exactly been keeping them up-to-date on the less pleasant things that have happened... So, they don't know about the reincarnations, or the full details of the attacks... And I'd really rather not accidentally spring that on them on Christmas..." you explained.  
  
"BUT... WHY HAVEN'T YOU TOLD THEM WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON? IT'S NOT RIGHT TO LIE TO YOUR FAMILY LIKE THAT..." Papyrus was concerned.  
  
"I... Well, I just don't want to cause them any unnecessary worry over something that can't be helped. I mean, what good would that do?"  
  
"THEY COULD OFFER YOU THEIR LOVE AND SUPPORT. YOU SHOULDN'T TRY TO FACE YOUR TROUBLES ALONE JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE AFRAID OF INCONVENIENCING SOMEONE."  
  
You grimaced a bit.  
  
"it's not our place to say who she should and shouldn't tell about these things, paps." Sans spoke up. "we should respect her wishes."  
  
You glanced at Sans in your rearview mirror and saw a look of sympathy. You were sure that him stalking you wasn't the only secret he'd kept from Papyrus for the younger skeleton's own peace of mind.  
  
"VERY WELL... I DO NOT LIKE IT, BUT I ALSO AGREE THAT NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR BAD NEWS ON CHRISTMAS."  
  
"Thanks, guys." you sighed with relief.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
A few hours later, you were finally pulling into your parent's driveway. Papyrus and Sans had enjoyed the sights during the ride, having never wandered far from Ebott City themselves.  
  
"WOWIE! LOOK AT ALL THOSE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS!" Papyrus exclaimed upon spotting all the plastic figures and lights all over your parent's house.  
  
"Haha! You should see it at night when it's all lit up!" you grinned. "My father absolutely loves Christmas, and he goes all out with decorating the house every year."  
  
"i guess christmas brings a bit of **light** into his life, eh?" Sans winks.  
  
"SANS! YOU STOP YOUR INFERNAL PUNNING RIGHT NOW! WE WANT TO MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION!" Papyrus immediately scolded him as he got out of your car, grabbing several leftover platters of goodies from the back seat.  
  
"haha! sorry, bro. i'll try." Sans grinned at him.  
  
The three of you headed up to the front door, and you let yourself in.  
  
"Hey! I'm home!" you called out.  
  
The first to reach the front hall was your sister, Cheryl. "Hey! Merry Christmas!" she hugged you in greeting.  
  
"Merry Christmas!" you hugged her back.  
  
You brother, Peter, and your mother and father, we quick to arrive as well.  
  
"Welcome home!" your mother hugged you.  
  
She was soon joined by your father who simply smiled before giving you a brief hug.  
  
"Hey." Peter smiled at you.  
  
"Ah, let me introduce everyone." you said, pulling away. "Everyone, these are my friends, Papyrus and Sans. They're the ones I've moved in with." you gestured to the two skeletons still standing by the door. "Papyrus, Sans, this is my mother, Barbara, my father, Danny, my sister, Cheryl, and my brother, Peter."  
  
"IT IS NICE TO FINALLY MEET YOU, HUMANS! _____ HAS TOLD ME MANY GREAT THINGS ABOUT YOU!" Papyrus beamed.  
  
"'sup?" Sans casually lifted a hand to wave.  
  
The brothers received various startled and curious looks from your family, none of whom had met a monster before, let alone one as loud and boisterous as Papyrus, before your mom spoke up: "Hello! It's nice to meet you!"  
  
The rest of your family also murmured their greetings.  
  
"What's that you have there?" Cheryl asked, gesturing to the platters.  
  
"OH! THESE ARE SOME LEFTOVERS FROM THE PARTY LAST NIGHT! I THOUGHT THAT, SINCE YOU WERE UNABLE TO COME, I SHOULD BRING SOME GOODIES HERE FOR YOU TO ENJOY!"  
  
At the mentioning of them being unable to come, your mother gave you a stern look. "Yes, well, unfortunately we received word that we were invited a bit last minute."  
  
"YES. _____ TOLD ME." Papyrus also leveled a stern look at you.  
  
You fidgeted uncomfortable for a moment, "Well, I better do something with all this food! I'll just go set it out on the dining room table!" you declared awkwardly, taking the trays from Papyrus and pushing your way further into the house, the sound of Sans snickering at you being the only other sound to break the awkward silence.  
  
"Well, come on in, and make yourselves comfortable." your mother invited, gesturing everyone further inside.  
  
The brothers settled on the couch and the rest of your family began taking up the chairs around it.  
  
"Can I get you something to drink?" Cheryl offered.  
  
"THANK YOU! COULD I HAVE A GLASS OF MILK, PLEASE?"  
  
"i'll take a bottle of ketchup if you have it."  
  
"UGH. SANS!"  
  
"what?"  
  
"Er... right. Milk and... ketchup. no problem." Cheryl headed off to the kitchen.  
  
"So... how are you enjoying the surface?" your mom asked.  
  
"IT IS INCREDIBLE! THERE'S SO MANY NEW THINGS TO SEE AND LEARN ABOUT! I'M STILL GETTING USED TO THE FACT THAT THE WEATHER CHANGES UP HERE. BACK IN SNOWDIN, IT WAS ALWAYS SNOWY, WATERFALL WAS ALWAYS RAINY, AND HOTLAND WAS ALWAYS... ANNOYINGLY HOT..."  
  
"Wait... you had snow and rain underground? That... doesn't make a lot of sense..." Peter questioned.  
  
"well, it wasn't so much weather like you experience up here on the surface. the underground, while small in the grand scheme of things, was actually fairly large for a cave system. this resulted in several different environments and their own unique climates. hotland was hot because of the exposed magma. waterfall had lakes and water falling from the ceiling due to rivers and other water sources falling in from above. snowdin, actually has a notably lower air pressure than the rest of the caves, so everything there is colder, and combined with the fact that it's right next to waterfall, and you get snow." Sans explained.  
  
"Uh..." Peter stared at Sans, "I... think I get it? Or at least some of it..."  
  
"NYEH... DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. MY BROTHER CAN BE A BIT OF AN EGGHEAD."  
  
"why do you think I like to **crack** jokes all the time?" Sans winked.  
  
"AUGH! SANS, NO!"  
  
Peter snickered at the pun.  
  
"ah, come on, bro! he looks **egg** cited to hear another one!" Sans gestured to Peter, who laughed outright at this.  
  
Papyrus was saved from more puns as you and Cheryl entered the room with drinks.  
  
"AH, THANK YOU, HUMAN!"  
  
"My name's Cheryl, and you're welcome."  
  
"So, how did your party go last night?" you mom asked once everyone had had a chance to enjoy their drinks.  
  
"IT WAS GREAT! OF COURSE, NOTHING LESS SHOULD BE EXPECTED FROM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! NYEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus boasted. "WE HAD QUITE A FEW GUESTS, INCLUDING A SURPRISE VISIT FROM SANTA!"  
  
"Santa?" your dad smiled in amusement at Papyrus' enthusiasm.  
  
"YES! HE STOPPED BY AND GAVE PRESENTS TO EVERYONE THERE BEFORE LEAVING TO DELIVER THE REST OF THE GIFTS TO PEOPLE'S HOMES." Papyrus nodded sagely.  
  
"That sounds like a lot of fun." Cheryl admitted.  
  
"my bro throws the coolest parties. **snow** joke."  
  
Papyrus looked torn between scolding Sans for the puns and beaming at the compliments.  
  
"Oh! How did those meatballs turn out?" your mom turned to you and asked.  
  
"Pretty good! They were well received." you grinned.  
  
"AH! THAT'S RIGHT!" Papyrus turned towards your mom, "_____ TOLD ME IT WAS A FAMILY RECIPE SHE GOT FROM YOU! THEY WERE AMAZING! YOU MUST BE QUITE THE ACCOMPLISHED CHEF TO CRAFT SUCH FINE MEATBALLS!"  
  
"Oh! Well, they're really not that hard to make..." your mom blushed happily.  
  
"YOU ARE TOO MODEST! I'M SURE YOU KNOW MANY INCREDIBLE RECIPES! I WOULD LOVE TO LEARN SOME OF THEM, IF THAT WOULD BE ALRIGHT?"  
  
"Well, of course!" your mom was practically beaming now, and you were beaming along with her. You knew Papyrus would leave your family charmed.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The conversation carried on for a bit, and everyone snacked on the leftover party food before you exchanged gifts with your family. There were gift cards, video games, clothes, movies, and various other goodies. You even got some catnip and toys for Cleo.  
  
"Oh! A gift card for my kindle!" Cheryl grinned as she opened the gift from you. "I can finally get that new James Patterson book! Now... if I could only find the time to actually read it..."  
  
"I can't help you with that one, I'm afraid!" you chuckled.  
  
"So, what'd you get me?" Peter poked you, grinning childishly.  
  
"I bought you a car." you told him, as straight-faced as you could. It was hard to maintain when he scoffed, but you somehow managed.  
  
"Suuure. Must be a compact to fit in this little box." Peter joked, holding up the gift you'd given him. He pulled off the wrapping paper, gaped for just a moment, then laughed loudly. "You DID get me a car!"  
  
"NYEH? SHE DID? WHAT SORT OF TINY MOTOR VEHICLE DID SHE GET YOU, HUMAN? HOW WILL YOU DRIVE IT? DOES IT EXPAND OR SOMETHING?" Papyrus peeked over his shoulder.  
  
"Let me show you." Peter grinned, pulling out the small car and a remote with it. You tossed over a pack of batteries and he inserted them before giving the tiny car its first test drive. It crashed into things a few times as Peter got a handle on the controls, but soon enough he was using it to run over your toes, and anyone else's he could reach.  
  
"Hey! It's not nice to run over the toes of your darling sister who was so nice as to buy you a car!" you teased, laughing.  
  
"WOWIE! THAT LOOKS LIKE FUN!"  
  
"Want to try?" Peter offered the remote to Papyrus.  
  
"THANK YOU, HUMAN!" Papyrus accepted the remote and soon had the little car racing round the living room. "NYEH HEH HEH!" he laughed, clearly enjoying himself.  
  
Sans smiled as he watched his brother having fun.  
  
"Hey, Peter! There's just one gift left!" Cheryl handed the last gift to Peter.  
  
Peter unwrapped the gift, revealing a bone.  
  
Papyrus nudged you. "SEE! I TOLD YOU BONES MAKE EXCELLENT GIFTS!"  
  
You couldn't help but snort with laughter. "I'm pretty sure that's for Thor."  
  
"thor?" Sans questioned.  
  
"WHO IS THOR, AND WHY DID HE NOT GET TO OPEN HIS OWN GIFT?"  
  
"Well, because he lacks opposable thumbs, mostly, but also because he tends to eat the paper." your dad chuckled.  
  
"NYEH??" Papyrus was really confused now.  
  
"He's out back. Why don't I introduce you?" Peter motioned for everyone to follow, and lead the way out to the back yard. Once outside, he let out a whistle. "Thor! C'mere, buddy!"  
  
An brindle boxer wearing a sweater eagerly bounded towards Peter, stopping in front of him and barely keeping on his feet he was so wiggly with excitement, sometimes rearing up on his back legs a bit, wanting to jump up, but knowing he wasn't supposed to.  
  
"Hey, buddy!" Peter ruffled Thor's fur, seeming to rev up the excitable dog even more. He turned to Papyrus and Sans. "This, is Thor!" he introduced, grinning.  
  
"heya, thor." Sans smiled in amusement.  
  
"AH! GREETINGS, CANINE THOR!" Papyrus bent down and patted Thor. Much like the canine unit of the Royal Guard, Thor didn't seem to care much who was patting him, so long as he was being pet.  
  
"Thor! Look what Santa brought you!" Peter held out the rawhide bone for Thor to sniff, before pulling his arm back and giving it a good toss. "Go get it!"  
  
Thor tore after the treat, and spent a few minutes running around barking at it, and then rolling on it, before finally picking it up and chewing on it a bit.  
  
"he certainly has a lot of energy." Sans remarked.  
  
"Yeah, he can be a handful if I don't wear him out a bit." Peter agreed.  
  
"PERHAPS WE COULD HELP YOU WITH THAT?" Papyrus offered.  
  
"Really?" Cheryl looked at them curiously. "What did you have in mind?"  
  
Sans grinned at Papyrus, immediately realizing where this was going. "let's just say he'll be **dog** tired once we're done. " Sans winked.  
  
Surprisingly, Papyrus did not get upset by the pun. He just 'nyeh'd in amusement before summoning a bone.  
  
"Whoa!" Peter exclaimed.  
  
"Is that magic?" your mom asked.  
  
"yep. bones are a specialty of ours. guess you could say we have a skele- **ton** of experience with them." Sans grinned even wider.  
  
Your dad let out a bark of laughter. "Should have seen that one coming!"  
  
Papyrus, busy focusing on his magic, flung the conjured bone out near Thor to catch his attention. Once Thor's eyes were on the bone, he flicked his hand and sent it hurtling away. Thor, naturally, gave chase, barking excitedly as the bone bobbed and weaved just out of reach.  
  
Soon enough, a second bone had joined the first, this one controlled by Sans. Thor wasn't sure which bone to go after, and settled for half-chasing both with spectacularly terrible results. However, he was having fun, and quickly wore himself out.  
  
You put your phone away, which you'd been using to record the scene, when your dad reemerged from the house with a bowl of water, which Thor happily lapped up, spilling water everywhere in his thirst.  
  
"Thanks, guys! Looks like Thor had a lot of fun, and he'll probably be out like a light, tonight!" Peter grinned at the skeleton brothers.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH! IT WAS NO TROUBLE, HUMAN! I, TOO, ENJOYED PRACTICING MY MAGIC WITH THOR!"  
  
"just watching him made me tired." Sans was lazing on a chair on the porch.  
  
"It's getting pretty chilly out, and dinner should be almost ready. Let's head back inside." You nodded towards the door.  
  
Everyone followed you in, including Thor after slaking his thirst. Most of you headed towards the living room and set up a gaming console to pass the time while waiting for dinner, while Papyrus and your dad headed to the kitchen to help prepare dinner.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"Agh! Get your bony butt off me!"  
  
Sans looked over towards the dining room where you had gone to set the table. With some trepidation, he stood up and headed towards the door. He was vaguely surprised to see Papyrus approaching the door from the kitchen, also looking confused and concerned. They exchanged a baffled glance before peering into the dining room.  
  
There you sat in one of the chairs, and sitting on your legs was Peter, giggling like a kid.  
  
"How is it that you eat so much and are still so bony?!" You complained, trying to push him off. "Cheryl!" you called out.  
  
Cheryl nudged her way past the skeleton brothers and into the dining room. "Don't worry, I know how to handle this." she grinned mischievously.  
  
"Uh-oh..." Peter uttered just as Cheryl's hands reached for his sides. "HAHAHAHA! STOP!" he burst out laughing as Cheryl began to tickle him.  
  
He was up in a flash, and soon had both Cheryl and you in pursuit. You chased him around the dining room table once before he realized you and Cheryl were splitting up to trap him, and ducked out the door, both of you in hot pursuit.  
  
Papyrus and Sans watched the three of you dart out of the room, laughing and having a good time. They shared an amused glance before hearing your mom call out, "That table's not going to set itself!" which was effective in ending your shenanigans... for the most part.  
  
Soon, the table was set and Christmas dinner was served.  
  
"Thank you, Papyrus. You were certainly more help than my own children." You mom thanked Papyrus, before giving the three of you a stern glare.  
  
"NYEH HEH... IT WAS MY PLEASURE." Papyrus blushed sheepishly.  
  
Everyone chattered idly about various subjects as Thor casually made his way around to everyone at the table, begging for scraps.  
  
"...It wasn't until AFTER he'd kneeled down on the board that he realized there was a nail sticking up out of it. It went right into his knee!" you told Papyrus.  
  
"INTO HIS KNEE?! OWIE! YOU WEREN'T KIDDING ABOUT YOUR BROTHER BEING ACCIDENT PRONE!" Papyrus grimaced sympathetically.  
  
"Hey!" Peter complained. "I'm not THAT bad!"  
  
"hehe. based on that **knee-jerk** reaction, i'm going to say _____ **nailed** that assumption." Sans smirked, causing your mother to nearly choke on her drink from laughter.  
  
"Hey, at least he didn't spend the first several years of his life running around the neighborhood naked every chance he got." Cheryl gave you a devious look.  
  
"W-what?! Oh no! Don't you dare go there!" you glared at Cheryl.  
  
"I've still got plenty of baby pictures from that time. Including that day that you insisted on dressing yourself and had your socks and underwear on over your pants, and your shirt backwards and inside out." your mom piped up.  
  
"Mom, no!" you said, mortified.  
  
"mom, yes!" Sans' grin was practically splitting his face.  
  
"THERE IS NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF, _____! EVERYONE DOES EMBARRASSING THINGS WHEN THEY ARE CHILDREN!" Papyrus reassured you.  
  
"yeah, like the time paps tried sliding down the railing, only for his pants to get caught at the end, and he was stuck dangling there for an hour before I woke up. never met anyone so adept at giving themselves a wedgie." Sans supplied.  
  
"SANS! I WAS JUST BEING SUPPORTIVE! THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE TO GO AND ELABORATE!" Papyrus was flushed with embarrassment. The rest of the table laughed, and you gave Papyrus a look of sympathy.  
  
"Oh, you think that's bad? Let me tell you about the time that _____-"  
  
"Mom! That's enough! Seriously!" you snapped, starting to grow irritated. "And you wonder why I never bring anyone home to meet the family..." you grumbled childishly.  
  
Thankfully, your family decided to have mercy on you, and the subject shifted.  
  
"So, what do you two do for a living?" your dad asked.  
  
"eh, odd jobs here and there. hot dog vendor, night-time security officer, seasonal employee at a halloween store..." Sans shrugged.  
  
"AND I AM FRISK'S PERSONAL GUARD!" Papyrus puffed his chest out proudly.  
  
"Who's Frisk?" Cheryl asked.  
  
"frisk is the adopted child of the king and queen of monsters, and also our ambassador."  
  
"Oh, wow! That sounds pretty important!" Cheryl exclaimed.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus grinned.  
  
You were giving Papyrus a confused look. _"I didn't realize he even had a job, let alone one so important..."_  
  
Sans seemed to catch your confusion and leaned towards you to whisper, "he's less an actual guard and more of a babysitter and playmate when tori needs someone to keep an eye on frisk for her, but, uh, don't tell him i told you that."  
  
"Ah..." you acknowledged. That made more sense, as it wasn't unusual for Papyrus to head off to play with Frisk.  
  
Everyone chatted and laughed all throughout dinner, and you were goaded into helping do the dishes afterwards. Then, everyone settled down and played a few card games and enjoyed dessert. It was nearing 9 o'clock when you finally announced that it was time to go.  
  
"We should be on our way. We've got a long drive ahead of us to get back to Ebott City." you pointed out.  
  
Papyrus looked a bit sad to be going already, but he realized you were right. "I AM REALLY GLAD I GOT THE CHANCE TO MEET ALL OF YOU!"  
  
"It was nice meeting you, too, Papyrus." your mom smiled at him. "It's nice to know that _____ has such nice friends she can rely on out there."  
  
"You guys should come back and visit again sometime. I know I certainly wouldn't mind the help wearing out Thor again." Peter chuckled, scratching the aforementioned sleepy dog behind the ears.  
  
"Yeah! You guys are welcome to visit any time." Cheryl smiled warmly.  
  
"THANK YOU, HUMANS! I APPRECIATE YOUR HOSPITALITY!" Papyrus looked around. "NOW, WHERE DID SANS GO?"  
  
You peaked out the door towards the living room and snickered. "Oh, he's just spending some quality time with dad."  
  
The rest peaked out into the living room and saw your dad and Sans seated on the couch in front of the TV, both fast asleep, your dad snoring quite loudly.  
  
"I'm not sure how he can sleep through dad's snoring." Cheryl commented.  
  
"NYEH... DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE MY BROTHER'S ABILITY TO NAP. I'M SURE YOU COULD BLOW UP THE ENTIRE HOUSE AROUND HIM WITHOUT DISTURBING HIM." Papyrus commented sardonically.  
  
Your family helped you gather up your things and load the car while Papyrus concentrated on trying to wake Sans. When he was still unsuccessful by the time you were finished, he sighed and just scooped his brother up in his arms to carry him.  
  
The moment Papyrus stepped outside, he gasped. This was the first time he'd stepped outside in hours, and he was awed by the sight.  
  
"_____! YOU WEREN'T KIDDING ABOUT EVERYTHING LOOKING BETTER AT NIGHT! THESE DECORATIONS ARE INCREDIBLE!" Papyrus grinned widely, as he strode farther from the house so he could get a better view of the whole thing lit up.  
  
"Danny will be pleased to hear that when he wakes up. He takes great pride in decorating the house every year." You mom spoke up.  
  
"SANS! SANS! YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP AND SEE THIS! IT'S INCREDIBLE!"  
  
Sans cracked an eye and looked at the house. "'s pretty cool, bro." he slurred sleepily, a soft smile on his face.  
  
"DO YOU THINK WE COULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS NEXT YEAR?"  
  
"'dunno. we'll have to see if we can manage it with our budget. maybe, though." Sans shrugged.  
  
"I CAN'T WAIT!" Papyrus beamed excitedly. "THANK YOU, AGAIN, FOR HAVING US! I HOPE WE GET TO SEE YOU AGAIN, SOON!" Papyrus waved to your family. Sans waved casually, too, before letting Papyrus set him in the back seat of the car.  
  
"Bye, everyone!" you waved.  
  
"Have a safe trip!" your mom called out, and you finally started the long drive home.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"Ah!, good evening, Gerson! Merry Christmas! Please, do come in." Asgore greeted his old friend after opening the door. He stepped aside to let the old tortoise monster through.  
  
"Thank you, your majesty, and a Merry Christmas to you, too." Gerson shuffled his way inside.  
  
"Let me make you some tea." Asgore offered as Gerson settled on one of the chairs in the kitchen.  
  
"That'd be great, thanks."  
  
A comfortable silence settled on the room as Asgore hummed some random tune while he made the tea. Once it was done, he settled the cup in front of Gerson, before pouring some for himself.  
  
Gerson took a sip and hummed appreciatively. "Well, this is different. You trying some new blends or something?"  
  
"Indeed. They were part of a gift I received this morning in the mail." Asgore nodded. "There were a number of different teas, some of which I haven't had in centuries. They're quite good."  
  
"A gift, huh? Who was it from?" Gerson gave Asgore a look that said he knew more than he was letting on.  
  
"Strangely enough, it did not say. It was simply a wrapped package of various teas, with a note saying that they reminded the giver of me. It was all quite mysterious."  
  
"Do you still have that note?" Gerson asked.  
  
"Yes. It's right here." Asgore walked over to the counter, picked up a box, and handed it to Gerson.  
  
Gerson glanced through the box at the types of tea that had been sent, before examining the note. It was as short and simple as Asgore had described, and wished him a Merry Christmas.  
  
"Heh... that's just what I thought." Gerson snorted.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Looks like this was sent by the same person who sent me this..." Gerson pulled out a package he'd received in the mail this morning. Inside was a variety of sweets and homemade goodies, as well as a note, in the same handwriting as the one to Asgore, saying they hoped he enjoyed the treats and wished him a Merry Christmas.  
  
"My! Those do look delicious!" Asgore commented.  
  
"Heh. They might be." Gerson looked at Asgore levelly as Asgore carefully restrained himself from sampling Gerson's gift.  
  
"You have not tried them, yet? That's not like you. You love sweets and pastries." Asgore gave him a curious look.  
  
"Yeah, and that there's the problem." Asgore gave him a confused look. "There aren't many people around that know I have a sweet tooth, and even fewer who would send me sweets anonymously. Add to that, that the same person apparently sent you a mysterious gift, too, and there's only one person it could be." Gerson gave Asgore an intense look, willing him to put two and two together.  
  
It only took a few moments of contemplation to figure out who knew both himself and Gerson, would be unwilling to identify themselves on the gifts, and whom Gerson would be wary enough of to be cautious of the sweets.  
  
"Ah... _____..."  
  
Gerson nodded. "Yep. So, you can understand my caution."  
  
"Hrm... I do not think you have anything to worry about, Gerson. If she were trying to poison us with these gifts, I would not be here right now, as I have been consuming this tea all day."  
  
Gerson scoffed. "You may be right about this stuff not being poisoned, but that doesn't mean I have nothing to worry about. You receive a mysterious package of tea from some unknown person, and your first thought is to brew and consume it? What if it HAD been poisoned, Asgore?"  
  
"I may not fully trust her, but I do not think _____ would stoop so low, and besides, she is also under careful watch."  
  
"I wasn't talking about _____." Gerson explained. Asgore gave him a confused look, and Gerson sighed as he clarified, "No offense, but some days you are completely oblivious, my liege. There are a lot of humans who would like to see us forced back underground, or straight up killed. You're the major driving force pushing to gain us the rights to live on the surface alongside humans as equals. Humans aren't exactly above assassinating others to cripple their political agenda. You need to be more careful."  
  
Asgore flushed as he realized Gerson was right. It had been foolish of him to start consuming the tea without any knowledge of who it was from. "And yet, here we both are, alive and well." he rumbled.  
  
"So it seems, my lord." Gerson was now examining a cupcake from his package of goodies.  
  
"You know, I wonder sometimes if we spend too much time focusing on what was or what could have been, and not enough on what is." Asgore spoke, taking a sip of his tea.  
  
"Heh. Maybe you're right. It's pretty hard for old fogies like us to let go, isn't it?" Gerson smiled. "It's not easy reconciling the mistakes of the past with the actions needed to create a peaceful future."  
  
"No, it is not. We traverse the blade's edge where one side sees us as too trusting and being taken advantage of once again, and the other too wary to progress." Asgore sat, contemplating his tea. "And you know..." Asgore looked up at Gerson. "I think, perhaps, we have erred too far on the side of caution."  
  
Gerson didn't need to ask to realize that Asgore was once again talking about you. "Heh. Maybe." He smiled, taking a bite of his cupcake. "I'll give her one thing, at least... that kid can bake."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's right! Reader didn't forget her two oldest friends on Christmas. =)
> 
> Things seem to be going pretty well for her for once. She deserves it after all the hell she's gone through.


	32. New Year, New Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys aren't reading this in a rush, because this chapter is a hell of a lot longer than normal! Enjoy! =D
> 
> Also, there's an important note about the update schedule in the end notes.

Of all the ways you thought you might die... Of all the ways you'd SEEN yourself die... This was a new and unexpected method... You writhed helplessly, desperate for air. This was it... The end... Farewell, cruel world...  
  
"U-Undyne! You should put her down before you hurt her!" Alphys' voice broke through the haze.  
  
You were instantly released from Undyne's death-hug and you dropped to your feet, stumbling and nearly falling over if not for Papyrus.  
  
"Whoops! Sorry, punk! I got a little excited there!" Undyne rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.  
  
"YOUR SKIN WAS STARTING TO MATCH UNDYNE'S IN COLOR." Papyrus observed.  
  
You were too busy desperately pulling air into your lungs to comment. You should have realized that Sans hadn't been kidding when he said Undyne might crush you when you showed her that you could now tap into your magic.  
  
"Congratulations, _____!" Alphys smiled at you.  
  
"Yeah! Way to go, punk! I knew you could do it!" Undyne grinned. "Looks like we can finally move on with your training!"  
  
"Thanks..." you wheezed.  
  
"This is great news! That means you both get some special training!" Undyne was very excited.  
  
"SPECIAL TRAINING?"  
  
"That's right! I've got something special planned for you, Paps! It's going to require strength, precision, and stamina! You think you can handle it?!"  
  
"YES, MA'AM!" Papyrus grinned excitedly.  
  
"Now, this is a new regimen I'm thinking of implementing, so it's hush-hush for now. I want to give it a week, see how it goes, and decide from there. Alright?"  
  
"YOU CAN COUNT ON ME!"  
  
"That said, this is pretty important, so would you mind if we waited until New Years to start your magic training, _____?"  
  
"Um... sure?" You were surprised by this. Undyne had been so vehement about you learning to use your magic...  
  
_"Ah, well. What's another week?"_ you thought to yourself. If you were honest, you were a little anxious about what the training would entail given that Undyne seemed fairly eager to try the 'chuck spears until magic happens' method on that first day of 'training'.  
  
"Great! Now that that's settled, let's go, punk! We've got our work cut out for us!" Undyne grinned at Papyrus, and lead him off towards her training room.  
  
Alphys turned to you. "So, how did the visit with your family go?"  
  
"Pretty well, actually! Everyone got along great, and we had a lot of fun! Here, let me show you!" You pulled out your phone and began showing Alphys the pictures and videos you had taken during your visit at your parents house on Christmas.  
  
"It looks like everyone was enjoying themselves." She smiled happily for you. "Oh! I almost forgot! You've been invited to come to the New Year's party with us!"  
  
"New Year's party?"  
  
"Yes! It's being hosted at the Queen's house, and she said to extend the invitation to you. It seems you made a good impression with her on Christmas Eve."  
  
"Really?? I mean... I really didn't do anything..."  
  
"The Queen is a good judge of character. I knew she'd like you once she had a chance to get to know you a little."  
  
"I bet it didn't hurt that I had you guys on my side."  
  
"Er... um, well... yes... I'm sure that didn't hurt..." Alphys blushed. "So, will you be going?"  
  
"I... sure. Why not? The Christmas party turned out pretty well... even after Papyrus made me sit in 'Santa's lap... God, that was so awkward..."  
  
"Oh my god! I know! I could barely watch!" Alphys looked like she was still experiencing secondhand embarrassment just thinking about it.  
  
"Anyway, I think it's time I introduced you to a new show. It's not a Japanese anime, but it's so very, very good. It's called Avatar: The Last Airbender!" you grinned.  
  
"Oh! I think I heard about that one! There's a movie and a sequel series, isn't there?"  
  
"Yep! The sequel series is good, but dear god, avoid the movie."  
  
"Is it really that bad?"  
  
"It's Mew Mew 2 bad."  
  
"Oh dear... that really IS bad!"  
  
The two of you headed off towards the living room.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Papyrus studied the cookbook as you began pulling out ingredients the next day.  
  
"I'M STILL NOT SURE HOW THIS SOUP WILL HELP FRISK WITH THEIR FLYING."  
  
"Flu, Paps, not flying. It's short for influenza. It's a fairly common illness, especially during the winter. And chicken noodle soup is a classic remedy for it. It won't cure them, but it'll help them feel better. The warmth will soothe their throat, the food is easier to keep down, and it'll help with congestion and hydration." you explained.  
  
"I HOPE SO. I DON'T LIKE IT WHEN MY FRIENDS AREN'T FEELING WELL."  
  
"Don't worry. Frisk's a tough kid, aren't they? I'm sure they'll be up and about again in no time. Now, let's do our best making this soup to help them feel better faster!" You reassured him.  
  
"YOU'RE RIGHT! WITH OUR CARE, FRISK WILL SOON AGAIN BE THE PICTURE OF HEALTH! NYEH HEH HEH!"  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You waited nervously behind Papyrus as he rang the doorbell. He had insisted that, since you had helped make the soup, you should come with him to give it to Frisk. You were apparently on better terms with the Queen after the party, but you still weren't exactly comfortable just dropping by. You snapped to attention as the door opened.  
  
"Hello, my child!" She greeted Papyrus warmly.  
  
"GREETINGS, YOUR MAJESTY! WE HAVE BROUGHT SOME SOUP TO HELP FRISK FEEL BETTER!"  
  
"We? Oh! Good evening, _____." Her greeting to you wasn't quite as familiar as with Papyrus, but it was friendly, regardless.  
  
"Good evening, your majesty."  
  
"There is no need for formalities. You may call me Toriel. Please, come inside." Toriel stepped aside, allowing you and Papyrus entrance.  
  
Toriel's home was spacious, which wasn't that surprising given her size. What was surprising was just how... quaint and homey it was. It was nothing like you imagined a queen's home would be. You and Papyrus followed her past a large living room with a crackling fire, and down a hallway. She stopped at one of the doors and knocked before speaking up:  
  
"Frisk, your friends are here to see you." She then opened up the door and stepped aside.  
  
You and Papyrus stepped inside. You spotted Frisk tucked into bed, and Flowey perched on the window sill. Frisk started to sign their greeting, but had to stop partway through the motion to cover their mouth as they were hit by a coughing fit.  
  
"HELLO, FRISK! HELLO FLOWEY! WE MADE YOU SOME SOUP TO HELP YOU FEEL BETTER!"  
  
Frisk gave the container Papyrus was carrying a slightly wary look before their gaze shifted to you. It quickly occurred to you that they were familiar with Papyrus' healing food, and were understandably wary. You gave them a smile and a thumbs-up to let them know that the soup was safe to consume. Frisk looked instantly relieved and nodded their acceptance. Toriel returned at that moment with a bowl and spoon, which she then poured some of the steaming soup into. Frisk tentatively ate a spoonful, then hummed in contentment before going for more. After a few minutes of watching Frisk greedily devour the soup, Flowey spoke up.  
  
"Congratulations, Papyrus! You actually made something that isn't causing the kid to hurl!" he commented. After receiving a few glares, Flowey spoke up again. "What? I'm being serious, here! This is the first thing today I've seen Frisk eat more than a bite or two of without puking it back up. Trust me, after having to witness that, I'm grateful." Flowey seemed grossed out just thinking about it.  
  
"WELL, IF IT REALLY DOES HELP, I'D BE HAPPY TO MAKE SOME MORE SOUP WHEN YOU RUN OUT!" Papyrus offered.  
  
Frisk smiled and nodded, then wiped their nose on their sleeve.  
  
"Frisk! Use a tissue!" Toriel gently chided. "Thank you, Papyrus. That is very kind of you."  
  
"IT WASN'T ALL MY OWN DOING. _____ IS THE ONE WHO SUGGESTED IT AND HELPED MAKE IT. SHE SAID THAT IT'S A REMEDY HUMANS USE ALL THE TIME."  
  
"It's not that big of a deal, really. I used to have chicken noodle soup a lot when I'd get sick as a kid."  
  
"Thank you, _____. I am, admittedly, a bit unfamiliar with human illnesses and their treatments. I have, of course, spoken with Frisk's doctor about it, but I would love to hear what else you might suggest I could do to help speed up Frisk's recovery."  
  
"Sure, no problem."  
  
"Come, let us head to the kitchen, then. I'll make us some tea."  
  
You followed Toriel to the kitchen and settled into one of the chairs. Most of them were taller than normal because the table itself had to be taller to accommodate Toriel. After she brewed you both some tea, she settled down as well.  
  
"What else do humans do to treat someone with influenza?" she asked.  
  
"Well... Not much you can do besides wait it out. Frisk will get better as long as they get enough rest and keep themselves fed and hydrated. The soup helps with that, as it tends to be easy on the stomach." you explained. "Other than that, the most you can really do is treat the symptoms to make them more comfortable. There are plenty of different medicines for that. Has Frisk really not been able to keep anything down all day?"  
  
"Unfortunately. I've been quite worried..."  
  
"I can see why. There are a few things that could help. Ginger and chamomile are both good options for settling their stomach, and giving them some saltine crackers could help, too."  
  
"Thank you, I will try those. It's been a little concerning how many times Frisk has told me they weren't feeling well this year, but this is the worst I've seen them." Toriel looked quite anxious as she fiddled with her cup of tea.  
  
"So long as their symptoms don't become too extreme, I wouldn't worry too much about it. It's not that uncommon for kids to get sick a lot, as they're still building up their immune systems. Heck, I got sick a ton as a kid, and now I almost never get anything worse than a cold."  
  
"Yes. The doctor told me to keep an eye out for such things as a high fever or if Frisk has difficulty breathing. It's actually been a bit of a relief having Flowey watch over them."  
  
"Really?" you asked incredulously. You did not have the best opinion of the slightly obnoxious flower.  
  
"Yes. Despite how he might seem on the outside, Flowey is quite close to Frisk. It took a while for him to warm up to anyone else after Frisk returned from the Underground with him in-tow, but he's been gradually getting better."  
  
"Huh. I guess I can appreciate that." It was still weird trying to reconcile the Flowey that Papyrus had described to you with the snide little flower, but you were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.  
  
Papyrus walked into the room and spotted you, "_____! IT IS TIME FOR US TO GO. I STILL NEED TO DROP YOU OFF AT HOME BEFORE I HEAD BACK TO UNDYNE'S FOR MORE TRAINING!"  
  
"What?? Didn't you train with her earlier?"  
  
"YES. UNDYNE SAYS THAT IF I'M TO MASTER THIS SPECIAL TRAINING IN ONLY A WEEK, THAT I NEED TO PRACTICE EVERY CHANCE I GET! SO THAT MEANS, NOW THAT I'VE DELIVERED THE GET-WELL SOUP TO FRISK, IT'S TIME TO GET BACK TO TRAINING."  
  
"Wow. Alright. Just don't let her run you too ragged, Paps." you shook your head and chuckled, standing to leave. "It was nice talking with you, Toriel. I do hope Frisk feels better, soon."  
  
"And you as well, my child. Thank you for your advice. Have a safe trip home."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
To call the rest of the week uneventful would have been an understatement. In fact, it was almost disturbingly quiet. Papyrus spent almost every waking moment either training with Undyne, or visiting Frisk, who was getting better by the day. Sans, too, spent most of his time out, apparently either at one of his multiple jobs, or at Grillby's. This left you and Cleo with the house to yourselves. Cleo, who had seemed to gain some amusement tormenting Sans, spent her time pouting in the laundry room, shedding on Sans' clothes that Papyrus had washed for him.  
  
As for you, you found yourself bored and restless. You flipped idly through the channels on TV, unable to settle on anything, and were having such trouble focusing on cooking that you ended up ordering out for the most part. You'd even managed to convince Sans to bring you back a burger and fries from Grillby's one night, which had then been drenched in ketchup after Sans handed you a bottle with the top unscrewed. Work was equally boring, as there was a notable lull of actual work to be done between the holidays, as the main focus was on providing support for the recently released VR system.  
  
New Year's Eve arrived, and you were doodling bones idly on a napkin in the break room, looking forward to the party tonight and having a day off tomorrow when Alphys nudged you to get your attention.  
  
"So, do you have any plans for tonight?" she asked.  
  
"I'm going to Toriel's party, remember?" you raised a brow at Alphys. She was the one who told you about it.  
  
"Oh! No, I mean before that." she clarified.  
  
"Before? Well, no, not really." you replied.  
  
"Same here. Why? Did you have something in mind, Alphy?" Mariana asked.  
  
"Well, actually, yes. Mettaton's got this new restaurant opening up today, and he asked me to invite everyone to the grand opening. Apparently he wants to celebrate Papyrus successfully finishing his special training with Undyne. Although, honestly, I think he just wants an excuse to show off the place to his friends." She smiled in amusement.  
  
"Oh my god! Really?! Absolutely!" Mariana squealed excitedly.  
  
"Sure, why not? What kind of restaurant is it?" you asked.  
  
"Well, it's called The MTT Palace, and it's a really upscale fine dining restaurant, from what I've been told."  
  
"Er... I'm not sure I could really afford any sort of fine dining restaurant... Especially not right after the holidays." You grimaced.  
  
"Oh! Don't worry about that! Mettaton said that everything is on him! He even told me he'd provide us with clothes and transportation."  
  
"Really??" Mariana asked.  
  
"Yes. He can seem a bit self-centered, but Mettaton really does love to dote on his friends when he gets the chance." Alphys smiled warmly.  
  
"Hah! I can just imagine Undyne in some fancy dress at a high-class restaurant!" you laughed.  
  
"O-oh. Undyne won't be coming."  
  
"What??" you immediately stopped laughing. "Why??"  
  
"She plans on helping the Queen set up for the party this evening. Besides, she said she wouldn't be comfortable in such a fancy environment." Alphys shrugged. She didn't seem concerned or offended that her girlfriend didn't want to go.  
  
"Oh, ok. Is there going to be anyone else going?" you asked.  
  
"I believe Mettaton was inviting Frisk, although whether Frisk will actually be well enough to come is yet to be seen."  
  
"Man, I hope so. It's bad enough that kid got sick right after Christmas, I hope they don't start off the new year that way, too." Mariana said.  
  
"I hope so, too. Anyway, I'll let Mettaton know that you guys want to go." Alphys smiled.  
  
Well, at least your new year's wouldn't be boring.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
" **Relax** , darling. It's not like I haven't seen you wearing even less before." Mettaton clucked disapprovingly as you rejected yet another dress with a neckline that plunged so far it was pretty much non-existent.  
  
"First off, don't you DARE bring up that incident again. The only reason you saw me like that is because you HACKED THE FUCKING LOCK." you snarled. "Secondly, I told you I don't want to accidentally go playing peek-a-boob, so that means no super-low necklines!"  
  
"Fine, fine. Although I know you would look absolutely **ravishing** in one of these ensembles, I will find something more... conservative, for you."  
  
" **Thank you.** " you huffed.  
  
It was almost time for you to meet the others at The MTT Palace, and you were getting a little tired of Mettaton's fussing.  
  
"Don't you still need to go see Frisk about their outfit after this?"  
  
"Hm? I'm afraid not, my dear. Frisk told me that, while they do feel much better, they still haven't fully recovered their strength, and they would like to take a nap before the party so that they can stay up with everyone else."  
  
"Ah, ok. At least they're feeling better."  
  
"Ah-hah! What about this little number?" Mettaton held up a dress for you to see. This one had no plunging neckline, and instead went for a sleeveless look with a thin strap that would wrap around the back of your neck. It was red and seemed to flare out below the waist, with rose patterns embroidered sporadically around the lower half of the skirt. There was also a pair of matching elbow-length gloves.  
  
"That might work..." You considered it.  
  
"Well, try it on, darling! Quickly now!"  
  
You gave Mettaton a stern look. Finally, he seemed to take the hint. "Yes, yes. I'll step out." He stepped out of your room and shut the door behind him.  
  
You changed into the dress and gave yourself the once-over in the mirror. It wasn't bad. The top half was form-fitting, and accentuated all the right curves, while the skirt came to about mid-calf, and flared out when you turned.  
  
"You can come back in, now."  
  
Mettaton stepped in and gasped dramatically. "You look absolutely beautiful, darling!"  
  
"Oh, come on, I know it doesn't look THAT good on me." You blushed, torn between wanting to accept the compliment and being annoyed because you knew it was just Mettaton being dramatic.  
  
"Au contraire, mademoiselle! You just cannot see the potential that I see. Once I am finished with your hair and make-up you will be the envy of every woman there!" Mettaton cooed, then got right to work doing just that.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You glanced at your reflection in one of the mirrors in Metatton's limo. You had to admit, he'd been right. You really DID look amazing. With your hair done up into a bun, and a bit of make-up you'd practically been transformed into a whole new person. You couldn't wait to see what he'd come up with for the others.  
  
You felt the limo come to a stop, and after a moment, the door was opened for you and you were helped out of the vehicle by the attendant. Your eyes widened at just how extravagant the exterior of the restaurant was. Like its name indicated, it certainly looked palatial. You were pretty sure you wouldn't be able to afford a hors d'oeuvre here if Mettaton wasn't paying for everything.  
  
You made your way inside and saw that the interior was just as lavish as the exterior, if not more-so. You stepped up to the maitre d'.  
  
"Good evening. Do you have a reservation, madam?"  
  
"Um, yes. I'm part of Mettaton's party."  
  
He raised an eyebrow at this. "Name, please?"  
  
"_____."  
  
He glanced at the reservation list and nodded. "Very well. You are the first to arrive, madam. If you would please have a seat in our lounge, you will be seated once the rest of your party arrives." he gestured towards the lounge area, which was just as posh as the rest of the place. You took a seat on a plush chair to begin your wait.  
  
You did not have to wait long before you heard a familiar booming voice. "MY NAME? I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! IT IS NICE TO MEET YOU!"  
  
You looked up in time to see the slightly taken aback look on the maitre d's face at Papyrus' natural volume, before he schooled it once more. He gestured towards the lounge, and you got your first look at Papyrus as he turned around. He was wearing a black tuxedo with a grey vest, white dress shirt, and red ascot. The suit fit like it was tailored specifically for him, and given that Mettaton had seemed to know your own measurements without even asking, you suspected that the robot had similar knowledge for Papyrus as well. You couldn't help but blush; he looked devastatingly handsome.  
  
Papyrus entered the lounge and glanced around before his eye sockets settled on you. They widened comically and his jaw dropped open. You blushed even more under his unblinking gaze, and waved sheepishly at him. This seemed to snap him out of his daze, and he walked over to you.  
  
"Uh, hey, Papyrus. That tux looks really good on you." you smiled shyly.  
  
"OF COURSE IT DOES! METTATON HAS A GREAT EYE FOR BEAUTY! I SEE HE DID AN EXCELLENT JOB SELECTING AN OUTFIT TO COMPLIMENT YOUR OWN!" After the words tumbled from his mouth, you both became flustered.  
  
_"He thinks I'm beautiful?"_ That thought made you absolutely giddy for some reason.  
  
Papyrus blushed hard upon realizing the implications of what he'd said and opened his mouth to try and clarify that he hadn't meant that in a romantic way (right?), since the two of you were just friends (right??), and that he'd only meant to compliment your dress. The words died in his throat, however, and he snapped his mouth shut upon seeing how pleased you looked. He **liked** that look.  
  
The odd, fluttery moment was interrupted as your text alert went off. You pulled your phone out of your purse and frowned as you read it.  
  
"IS SOMETHING WRONG?"  
  
"Alphys said she has to cancel. Apparently the King has asked her to double-check the security systems around Toriel's house to ensure that everything's safe for tonight's party." you frowned.  
  
"THAT IS UNFORTUNATE. I KNOW FRISK SAID THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO MAKE IT, EITHER."  
  
"Well, there'll still be us, Mariana, and Mettaton, at least." you shrugged.  
  
As if on cue, your text alert went off again. "... or not." you frowned.  
  
"NYEH?"  
  
"That was Mariana. She said something's come up and she has to babysit for a friend. She said it's very important, otherwise she would have refused. She should still be able to make it to the party later, though."  
  
"THAT'S UNFORTUNATE. I HOPE THE CHILD SHE'S WATCHING ISN'T TOO MUCH OF A HANDFUL." Papyrus mused.  
  
The two of you chatted idly as you waited for Mettaton's arrival. About 10 minutes later, the maitre d' approached the two of you.  
  
"Ahem. Pardon the interruption, but I just received a call from master Mettaton. He has informed me that the other guests are unable to make it this evening, and that he himself is running late. He requested that I seat you two so that you may begin dinner without him."  
  
"OH. OKAY." Papyrus responded, mildly disappointed.  
  
You, on the other hand, narrowed your eyes suspiciously. _"This is all awfully convenient..."_ you still hadn't forgotten the 'conveniently' placed mistletoe. However, you said nothing and followed the maitre d' to your table.  
  
You were lead past dining halls packed with people, the clink of silverware and murmur of conversation reaching your ears. The three of you then entered a smaller dining hall, which featured several smaller tables, each lit by candlelight as well as the dimmed overheard lighting. There was plenty of open floor space, and soft music was playing through the speakers in the otherwise quiet room. You saw that there were currently no other guests in this room.  
  
"Please, have a seat. Your waiter will be with you shortly." he placed some rolls on your table and then stepped back out of the room.  
  
You and Papyrus settled into your seats. You noted that there were only two, despite the fact that Mettaton was only 'running late'. You sighed in annoyance, but decided that, set-up or not, this was too good an opportunity to pass up. You picked up your menu and began to browse.  
  
It didn't take long for your waiter to arrive to take your drink orders. "Good evening! May I get you something to drink? We have a fine selection of wines on offer this evening!"  
  
"DO YOU HAVE ANY CHOCOLATE MILK?" Papyrus asked.  
  
The waiter seemed baffled for only a moment, before his smile returned. "Of course, sir! And for you, madam?"  
  
"Sparkling water will be fine."  
  
"As you wish. Would you care to try a sample of the chardonnay this evening?" He offered the bottle you just noticed that he'd brought with him.  
  
"Sure, why not?"  
  
The waiter poured you a glass, and then left to get your drinks, since Papyrus was too absorbed in his menu to notice the offer. You honestly didn't think he would have accepted, anyway. You sipped the chardonnay. It was REALLY good. You began to look through the menu again, sipping your wine.  
  
"Wow... everything is super expensive... I'm pretty sure I could feed my entire family for less than some of these things cost..." You commented.  
  
"NYEH... IT IS PRICEY. I KIND OF FEEL BAD ABOUT PUTTING ANY OF THIS ON METTATON'S TAB IF HE CAN'T EVEN BE HERE TO ENJOY IT WITH US..."  
  
"I'm sure he doesn't mind..." you replied.  
  
"YOU'RE PROBABLY RIGHT. METTATON IS SO GENEROUS! HE LOVES BEING ABLE TO TREAT HIS FRIENDS TO FANCY THINGS."  
  
Your waiter returned at that point with your drinks. "There you are! And what did you think of the chardonnay, madam?"  
  
"It's really good!"  
  
"Would you care for some more?"  
  
"Sure, why not?"  
  
The waiter refilled your glass.  
  
"Now... Are the two of you ready to order, or do you need more time?" he pulled out his notepad in preparation of taking your orders.  
  
"I'm ready. How about you, Paps?"  
  
"I THINK I AM READY, TOO."  
  
"Very well, what can I get you this evening?"  
  
"I'll have the filet mignon au bordelaise, cooked medium. For the sides I'll have the house salad with Italian dressing, and the creamy au gratin potatoes." you ordered.  
  
The waiter finished jotting down your order and turned to Papyrus. "And for you, sir?"  
  
"I SHALL HAVE THE METTATON SPECIAL!"  
  
You glanced at your menu again to see what was in the special... _"Wow... that is a long list of ingredients..." You gaped at the sizable entry. "...chicken, red potatoes, spinach, carrots, fried dough, broccoli, tomato, scallops... MTT brand (mostly) edible glitter..."_ you read some of the ingredients. Based on the picture, they somehow combined everything into the shape of Mettaton's box form, and the whole meal was actually monster food, as it was infused with magic. It was... impressively ostentatious...  
  
"An excellent choice, sir! I'll just clear away your menus, then, and place your orders." he smiled charmingly, collecting the menus and leaving once again.  
  
You turned to Papyrus. "I'm honestly a little surprised you didn't order any pasta." you told him.  
  
"HONESTLY, I DID CONSIDER IT... HOWEVER, COMPARING IT TO MY OWN ARTISAN'S PASTA WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN UNFAIR ASSESSMENT. I WISH TO JUDGE THIS PLACE ON ITS OWN MERIT, NOT BASED ON A SCALE IT COULD NOT POSSIBLY HOPE TO MATCH." he explained.  
  
"How very noble of you." You chuckled.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH..." Papyrus smiled, blushing slightly.  
  
"So, how did your super-secret training with Undyne go this week? Are you still under non-disclosure orders about it?" you asked, buttering up one of the rolls.  
  
"UNDYNE SAID THAT I NO LONGER MUST KEEP IT SECRET, SO I CAN TELL YOU. HONESTLY, IT WAS PRETTY TOUGH, BUT I THINK I DID REALLY WELL!" he grinned. "UNFORTUNATELY, UNDYNE SAID SHE DOESN'T THINK IT HAS ENOUGH COMBAT APPLICATIONS TO BE WORTH IMPLEMENTING IN REGULAR GUARD TRAINING."  
  
"That's too bad."  
  
"YES. IT WAS A LOT OF FUN, THOUGH! UNDYNE THOUGHT YOU MIGHT ENJOY IT, TOO, AND SAID I SHOULD SHOW YOU IF THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS ITSELF." he was practically bouncing in his seat from excitement.  
  
You quirked an eyebrow at that, already suspicious about the evening. You shook the thought from your head. _"Now I'm just being paranoid."_  
  
"Sounds good, Papyrus! I'd like that." You smiled at him. It didn't really matter that athletics and training weren't really your thing; when Papyrus was that excited about something, it was hard not to get excited, too.  
  
"SO, WHAT DID THE VET SAY ABOUT CLEO'S RECOVERY, YESTERDAY?"  
  
"He says she's recovering really well! It should only be another week or two before she can have the cast removed. He told me she'll probably need some time to get used to moving her leg again, but he's confident that she'll be back to her old self in no time."  
  
"THEN SANS WILL HAVE AN EVEN HARDER TIME KEEPING HER OUT OF HIS ROOM! NYEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus laughed.  
  
"Oh my god, no kidding! I don't know what it is about him that has her determined to sleep on everything he owns."  
  
"IT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE HE'S ALWAYS TAKING **CAT NAPS.** " Papyrus grinned mischievously.  
  
"OH MY GOD! Papyrus!" you sputtered, not used to him making puns.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH!" he just laughed, and you began laughing with him.  
  
Papyrus' laughter suddenly halted, and he tilted his head to listen to the Latin American song that had just come on. His eye sockets widened and he grinned excitedly. "_____! THIS IS IT!" he jumped up out of his chair.  
  
"What is it??" you were confused.  
  
"THIS IS ONE OF THE SONGS I'VE BEEN PRACTICING THE SECRET TRAINING TO!"  
  
"You practiced to music?"  
  
"YES! UNDYNE SAID IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR GETTING THE RHYTHM DOWN PROPERLY! LET ME SHOW YOU!" Papyrus grabbed your hand, pulled you to your feet, and over to a more open area.  
  
"W-what? Papyrus?" you stumbled slightly after him. He then quickly turned around and pulled you flush up against him, the hand that wasn't holding your own went around your waist. " **Papyrus?!** " you squeaked in embarrassment and confusion.  
  
"JUST FOLLOW MY LEAD!" Papyrus took a step towards you, forcing you to step back. Papyrus swayed forward and back in a quick salsa style dance, gently pushing and pulling you along with him. You stumbled a few times, but Papyrus, patient as always, didn't seem to mind, and held you firmly against himself so you wouldn't fall as you struggled to follow his movements. Finally, you seemed to pick up on the pattern and rhythm. With the basic pattern down, he began introducing more complex movements, including swinging you out away from him, before bringing you back flush up against him.  
  
You let out a breathless laugh, grinning ear to ear.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH..." Papyrus also laughed, encouraged by your own reactions.  
  
The two of you danced and twirled to the music, your heart beating rapidly. Your eyes were locked with his as you moved. Forward. Back. Twirl. Dip. Swing out, and come back close again.  
  
As if the whole thing had been choreographed, the music stopped when Papyrus pulled you back against him one final time, his eyes locked on your own. The two of you stood there staring at each other, flushed and panting from exertion.  
  
Finally, the trance the two of you seemed to be under was broken as you pulled away, the need to quench your thirst overwhelming. Papyrus tentatively followed and watched curiously as you practically chugged your water. Once your thirst was quenched, you turned back to Papyrus.  
  
"So, that was the 'special training' you've been working on all week?" you asked.  
  
"WELL, THERE IS MORE, BUT YES, THAT'S ONE OF THE TRAINING EXERCISES I LEARNED THIS WEEK." Papyrus eyed you even more curiously as you chuckled at this.  
  
"Of course, Undyne would be in on it."  
  
"IN ON WHAT?"  
  
"Never mind. So, you didn't realize that Undyne was teaching you salsa dancing?"  
  
"SALSA DANCING? SO HUMANS ALREADY KNOW ABOUT UNDYNE'S SUPER-SECRET TRAINING TECHNIQUES?"  
  
"Hah. I think she actually got the idea from humans."  
  
"WOWIE!" Papyrus seemed surprised.  
  
"So, what other dances did she teach you?" you asked.  
  
"WELL, THERE WAS ONE MORE, BUT I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT'S CALLED. I'D SHOW YOU, BUT IT WOULD BE EASIER TO LEAD YOU THROUGH IT IF WE HAD THE RIGHT MUSIC..."  
  
"Hah... That's alright. I think I need a bit of a breather after that last one, anyway." you chuckled, sitting back in your seat. Papyrus followed suit. "Besides, I wouldn't be surprised if the exact song you practiced to came on at some point during the evening."  
  
"REALLY?? WHAT MAKES YOU SAY THAT?"  
  
"Call it woman's intuition." you shrugged, smiling flirtatiously at him before taking another sip of your chardonnay. Your smile widened as the blush returned to his cheeks.  
  
Neither of you had time to dwell too long on that, as your meals arrived at that moment. Your potatoes were delicious, your salad fancy, and your steak was downright divine. Papyrus hemmed and hawed over whether he actually wanted to eat his meal, as it would mean destroying its artful design as his favorite actor. Eventually, you convinced him that it would be a bigger crime to let it go to waste, especially since it was on Mettaton's tab. You then had to point out to him that he didn't need to eat it all at once, either, as he could take the leftovers home with him.  
  
"NYEH HEH... I KNEW THAT..." he glanced away sheepishly, no longer trying to force the large meal down despite being full.  
  
You just chuckled in response. The two of you fell into easy conversation as you began digesting your meals, simply enjoying each other's company.  
  
"...and now I'm pretty sure I've got both Alphys and Undyne hooked on the idea of going to a convention. It's more a matter of deciding where and when, really."  
  
"IT SOUNDS LIKE FUN!"  
  
"Oh, it is! Seeing everyone's costumes, attending events, checking out what they have for sale... I bet you could find some really cool action figures to add to your collection." You smirked at him.  
  
"THEY SELL ACTION FIGURES?"  
  
"All kinds! I bet people would be impressed by the craftsmanship of your battle body, too."  
  
"IT IS VERY IMPRESSIVE." Papyrus beamed proudly. His head then quickly turned to the speakers as a new song started playing. "YOU WERE RIGHT! IT'S THE OTHER SONG!" Papyrus gasped.  
  
You were once again pulled to your feet and away to dance. This time, it was a fast-paced tango. Again, you struggled to keep up, but now that you expected to be dancing you didn't flounder quite so badly and slipped into the state of mind that let Papyrus lead you around the dance floor.  
  
You swayed and moved, held closely to Papyrus. For his part, Papyrus was mostly focused on guiding you through the dance with as few mishaps as possible. However, there was a part of him that was achingly aware of just how close you were to him. He hadn't needed to point out that this was the other song he'd trained to. You certainly wouldn't have known better. However, when he'd heard the song come on and thought of how he'd lead you through the, what was it called again? Salsa? Anyway, as he'd thought of the salsa, he'd felt the incredible urge to hold you close again. He felt his magic thrumming in his bones as he danced with you. He didn't really understand WHY, though. This hadn't happened when Undyne and Mettaton had been teaching him these exercises... It felt good, though, and he didn't want it to stop.  
  
All things come to an end, eventually, though, and so the song did, too. Papyrus still held you close, that electric feeling of his pulsating magic still going strong as he gazed down at you. You were so close. It would be so easy to just lean down...  
  
You weren't sure what prompted you to speak. Maybe it was the alcohol you'd consumed earlier. You weren't much of a drinker, and it had been on an empty stomach... Regardless of the reason, you chose that moment to open your mouth. "It's a good thing I wore gloves today..."  
  
"NYEH??" Papyrus' look switched to one of confusion.  
  
"...Otherwise, you'd be too hot to handle." you winked flirtatiously at Papyrus.  
  
He twitched briefly, sockets narrowed at the joke. Moments later, they widened.  
  
"Did you just... flirt with me?" Papyrus asked in that oddly quiet tone you hadn't heard in months.  
  
"U-um... maybe?" you squeaked nervously. Oh god. He wasn't interested in you like that. What had you done?!  
  
Papyrus gasped at the realization. How had he not seen it before? It was so obvious! He blushed deeply.  
  
You pulled away from a stunned-looking Papyrus. "I-I'm sorry! I shouldn't have done that, I-"  
  
"D-DATE." Papyrus interrupted you.  
  
"W-what?"  
  
"A-A DATE! WE MUST GO ON A DATE!" He seemed to be coming out of his stupor. "I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN YOU WOULD BECOME ENSNARED BY YOUR ATTRACTION TOWARDS ME! I AM, AFTER ALL, VERY HANDSOME AND VERY GREAT! IT IS ACTUALLY QUITE IMPRESSIVE THAT YOU RESISTED THIS LONG. FRISK WISHED TO DATE ME WITHIN DAYS OF MEETING ME." he nodded to himself.  
  
"I-uh, wait... what? Frisk??" Your face screwed up in confusion, and then you thought of how flirtatious the kid was and how naive Papyrus could be.  
  
"SO, SINCE YOU HAVE FINALLY REALIZED YOUR LOVE FOR ME, IT'S ONLY RIGHT THAT WE GO ON A DATE!"  
  
"Um... I think we're already on one..."  
  
"NYEH?!" That statement had caught Papyrus completely off-guard. "T-THAT CAN'T BE RIGHT... CAN IT??"  
  
Papyrus hastily reached into his jacket and pulled out a worn book. You glanced at him in confusion as he began flipping through its pages, and took a look at its title: 'Official Dating Rulebook'.  
  
_"Why is he carrying a dating guide with him??"_  
  
"AHEM! STEP ONE! PRESS THE 'C' KEY ON YOUR KEYBOARD FOR 'DATING HUD'."  
  
"Do what now??" you examined the book more carefully, and realized that it was a actually a strategy guide for some sort of dating simulator game. "Papyrus, where did you get that?"  
  
"ALPHYS GAVE ME THIS COPY WHEN I HAD TO RETURN THE OTHER ONE TO THE SNOWDIN LIBRARBY. WHY DO YOU ASK?"  
  
"I don't think that's an actual dating guide, Paps... I mean, there's no such thing as a 'Dating HUD.'"  
  
"OF COURSE THERE IS! SEE?" he pulled out his phone and opened up some app you weren't familiar with before showing it to you. On the screen were a number of strange graphs and radars for things such as the day of the week, population, crime, a dog radar, an egg, and a fishing meter??  
  
"Um..." you were baffled.  
  
"DON'T YOU HAVE A DATING HUD ON YOUR PHONE?"  
  
"I... can't say I do..."  
  
"HMM... I SUPPOSE WE'LL HAVE TO SHARE MINE FOR NOW, THEN." Papyrus blinked as he realized something. "AH! I OPENED UP THE DATING HUD! I SUPPOSE THAT MEANS THAT WE DID COMPLETE 'STEP ONE' IN THE DATING RULEBOOK. WELL, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THIS IS NECESSARILY A DATE. THERE ARE SEVERAL STEPS INVOLVED, AFTER ALL." he reasoned.  
  
"I still don't think that book-"  
  
"STEP TWO!" Papyrus was once again consulting the book. "ASK THEM ON A DATE. YOU SEE? I DIDN'T ASK YOU... WAIT..." his eye sockets widened. "JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO, AFTER YOU FLIRTED WITH ME... I DID ASK YOU ON A DATE!" he seemed to be getting anxious.  
  
"Papyrus-"  
  
You were ignored as he plowed forward. "STEP THREE! PUT ON NICE CLOTHES TO SHOW YOU CARE. CLOTHING... GAH! WE'RE BOTH WEARING THE FANCY CLOTHING METTATON PICKED OUT FOR US! AND YOU... YOU'VE BEEN WEARING CLOTHES SINCE THE DAY WE MET!" his eyes began to glance away shiftily, "... WELL, EXCEPT FOR THAT ONE TIME IN ALPHYS' PRIVATE LAB THE DAY AFTER UNDYNE BATTLED YOU, WHEN UNDYNE AND METTATON WERE ARGUING... BUT BESIDES THAT!"  
  
"P-Papyrus!" you squeaked, mortified as he brought up that incident.  
  
"YOU... YOU PLANNED THIS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, DIDN'T YOU?!" he exclaimed.  
  
"W-what?!" You were so confused.  
  
"B-BUT, THE DATING STEPS... OH NO! WE DID IT ALL WRONG! THE DATE IS RUINED!" Papyrus seemed legitimately distressed by this, with tears beginning to stream from his eye sockets.  
  
"What? That's not true, Paps!" you rushed to console him.  
  
"BUT IT IS! DON'T YOU SEE? WE DID THE DATING STEPS BACKWARDS! HOW ARE WE SUPPOSE TO HAVE A GREAT TIME ON OUR DATE IF WE DON'T FOLLOW THE PROPER STEPS?" he sobbed.  
  
"Papyrus..." he continued to sob. "Papyrus! Look at me!" startled, his attention snapped to you. "Tell me... before you started worrying if this was a date, were you having a good time?"  
  
Papyrus sniffled. "WELL, YES. OF COURSE I WAS."  
  
"Well, so was I, and when it comes to dating, that's all that matters."  
  
"B-BUT THE RULEBOOK SAYS-"  
  
"Forget the rulebook, Papyrus!" you cut him off. "Look... dating is a lot like cooking." you started, trying to explain this in a way that Papyrus would understand.  
  
"IT IS??"  
  
"Yes! There's all kind of different types of dates! You can go out to eat, go to the movies, stroll through the park, spend time together at home, or anything you can imagine. And in cooking, there's all kinds of different recipes! And in both cases, there's no one correct way to go about it. A dinner date could be at a fancy restaurant like this, or at a Chinese restaurant, or a diner, or even a specially prepared home-cooked meal! With cooking, pasta for example, you might use spaghetti, or rotini, or elbows, or whatever pasta suits your fancy. The point is, so long as you enjoy it, there IS no wrong way to go about it."  
  
Papyrus' sniffling had slowed to a stop now. "SO... BECAUSE WE WERE HAVING FUN... THE DATE ISN'T RUINED?"  
  
"Exactly!"  
  
Papyrus pulled you into a tight hug, tears streaming from his eye sockets again, this time in relief. "THANK GOODNESS! I WAS SO AFRAID THAT'D I'D ACCIDENTALLY MESSED UP OUR DATE AND THAT YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO GO OUT WITH ME AGAIN!"  
  
You hugged him back and blushed. "You... want to go on another date with me?" you asked.  
  
"I DO!" he pulled back and smiled brightly at you, his eye sockets twinkling. You couldn't have stopped yourself from smiling in return even if you wanted to.  
  
"BUT..." Papyrus narrowed his eye sockets at you, a determined look crossing his face. "I'M AFRAID THIS DATE ISN'T OVER YET!"  
  
Well, you were still at the restaurant, but you didn't think that's what he meant. "What do you mean?"  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH... I'LL ADMIT, YOU HAVE ME AT A DISADVANTAGE HERE... HOWEVER! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS! WILL NOT BE BEATEN SO EASILY!"  
  
"Huh??" you had no idea what he was talking about.  
  
"YOUR DATING POWER IS VERY GREAT, BUT IT CANNOT SURPASS MY OWN! BEHOLD!" Papyrus reached into his jacket, and pulled out a small, wrapped gift. "THIS, IS FOR YOU!"  
  
You accepted the gift. "Wait... you had a gift for me this entire time?"  
  
"THAT'S RIGHT!" he grinned. "NO ONE CAN BEAT THE GREAT PAPYRUS WHEN IT COMES TO DATING! ... WELL, EXCEPT FOR THAT ONE TIME I DATED FRISK... AND I HAVEN'T ACTUALLY BEEN ON ANY DATES SINCE THEN... BUT NEVER-THE-LESS I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED HERE!" you gaped at Papyrus. "GO ON, OPEN IT!"  
  
You opened up the gift, and inside was a necklace with a purple crystal pendant. "It's beautiful..."  
  
"THAT'S NOT ALL!" Papyrus reached out a hand, pausing to show you his channeled magic, before he lightly touched the crystal. Immediately, the crystal began to glow.  
  
"What is this?!" you gasped.  
  
"IT IS A SPECIAL CRYSTAL FROM WATERFALL. IT GLOWS WHEN EXPOSED TO MAGIC. WE USED THEM TO LIGHT SOME OF THE DARKER PATHS, THERE. I GOT IT FOR YOU TO CELEBRATE THE FACT THAT YOU CAN NOW TAP INTO YOUR MAGIC." Papyrus explained.  
  
You were utterly speechless. Sure, the crystal was beautiful on its own, but it was more than that. Only someone with magic could cause the crystal to glow. Someone like yourself. And Papyrus had gotten it for you to celebrate that fact. It made you feel special.  
  
Papyrus picked up the necklace and clasped it around your neck. Once it was there, you allowed your magic to flare a bit, causing the dulling crystal to light up once more.  
  
"This is amazing... Thank you, Paps..." you smiled brightly at him.  
  
Papyrus smiled back. "NYEH HEH HEH... WELL, THAT SHOULD MAKE US ABOUT EVEN ON THIS DATE, THEN. I'M WILLING TO ACCEPT A DRAW."  
  
You shook your head and laughed, still not understanding how or why this was some sort of competition. "Sure, sounds good to me, Paps. We should be heading out before we're late for Toriel's party, anyway."  
  
Your waiter arrived shortly after with some containers for your leftovers. You also ordered a dessert to go because, why not? It wasn't like you were paying for it. Once that arrived, you and Papyrus headed out and directed Mettaton's driver to drop you off at Toriel's.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You waited patiently with Papyrus at Toriel's doorstep. Toriel answered the door and smiled upon seeing the two of you.  
  
"Ah, welcome! Please come in. Let me take your coats." She stored your coats away in a nearby closet, then turned back around and took in your attire for the first time. "My! Don't the two of you look quite fetching in those outfits? Have you had a nice evening so far?"  
  
"THANK YOU, YOUR MAJESTY! WE DID, INDEED, HAVE A GOOD TIME AT METTATON'S NEW RESTAURANT!" Papyrus smiled.  
  
You nodded your head in agreement, then blushed when you caught a knowing, slightly mischievous look from Toriel.  
  
"That is good to hear. Please, make yourselves at home, and enjoy the party. If you'll excuse me, I must check on the refreshments." Toriel nodded and headed off towards the kitchen.  
  
You and Papyrus headed down the hallway and entered the living room. While there were not as many guests as Papyrus' Christmas party, the room was still fairly packed. The two of you were greeted warmly by the other guests, although you had to gently chide the members of the Snowdin canine unit when they started to get out of hand as you petted them.  
  
"What's up, nerds?!" Undyne surprised the two of you from behind with a tight, though not suffocating, hug. Her shark-like grin was wide and toothy. Alphys entered the room shortly after her.  
  
"OH! HELLO, UNDYNE! HELLO, DOCTOR ALPHYS!"  
  
"Hey, guys." you smiled as you were released.  
  
"Oh my god! You two look amazing!" Alphys squealed, her eyes wide and doe-like.  
  
"Haha! Thanks! Mettaton really knows what he's doing when it comes to fashion, doesn't he." you chuckled.  
  
"So, how was dinner?" Undyne asked, her grin then widened. "Did you get a chance to show her that special training?"  
  
"YES! I SHOWED HER BOTH EXERCISES! IT WAS A LOT OF FUN!"  
  
"So... I hear you're not sold on the combat applications of the salsa, or tango..." you gave Undyne a penetrating look.  
  
Undyne blushed a bit sheepishly, and started rubbing the back of her head. "Uh, yeah. Hah. Who knew?"  
  
You couldn't help but snort in amusement, much to Undyne's relief. Alphys, too, looked relieved to see that, despite obviously knowing something had been afoot, you did not appear upset or angry.  
  
There was a thump and some giggling, and glanced down to see Frisk hugging Papyrus's legs and grinning up at him.  
  
"AH! THERE YOU ARE, FRISK! HOW ARE YOU FEELING?"  
  
Frisk released Papyrus' legs and shot him a double thumbs-up.  
  
"THAT IS GOOD TO HEAR! I WAS WORRIED THAT YOU WOULD STILL BE ILL AND WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO ENJOY THE PARTY!"  
  
"Are you kidding?" Undyne scoffed. "Frisk's a tough kid. No sickness is going to take them down! Right, punk?"  
  
Frisk nodded vehemently and bumped fists with Undyne.  
  
"So, where's Flowey?" you asked, curiously. Papyrus had told you that those two were almost always together at home.  
  
'He doesn't like crowds much, so he's helping mom in the kitchen.' Frisk signed to you.  
  
"Ah, okay."  
  
You all chatted and laughed for a while, enjoying the music being played by Napstablook, who barely avoided fading out of existence from shyness every time someone approached him to make a special request, with the exception of Frisk, that is, who received a shy smile from the ghost, instead.  
  
There was a bang as the front door slammed open, and you heard Mariana's voice call out, "Ah, come on, **Sansy** , you don't have to be like that!"  
  
You turned and saw an irate looking Sans stomp his way into the room, followed shortly by Mariana. His eyes locked onto Papyrus, who was currently dancing with Frisk, and he stiffly walked across the room.  
  
"papyrus! where have you been? i've been trying to call you all evening. ... and why are you so dressed up?"  
  
"YOU HAVE??" Papyrus checked his phone. "IT DOESN'T SAY I MISSED ANY PHONE CALLS OR MESSAGES... PERHAPS THE MTT PALACE JUST HAS POOR PHONE RECEPTION? I WILL HAVE TO LET METTATON KNOW SO HE CAN LOOK INTO IT. IT WOULDN'T DO IF SOMEONE COULDN'T BE REACHED BY THEIR LOVED ONES IN AN EMERGENCY."  
  
"the mtt palace?" Sans thought hard about this for a minute. "you mean that fancy new restaurant of mettaton's? you were there?"  
  
"YES! HE INVITED US TO THE GRAND OPENING WITH HIM!"  
  
"'us'?"  
  
"ALPHYS, MARIANA, FRISK, _____, AND MYSELF. ALTHOUGH, EVERYONE BUT _____ AND I HAD TO CANCEL... AND METTATON WAS RUNNING LATE... SO LATE THAT HE MISSED THE ENTIRE DINNER..."  
  
"...so, it was just you and _____?"  
  
"YES, THAT'S RIGHT."  
  
"that conniving bag of bolts! when i get my hands on him, i'll-"  
  
Sans stopped short when he felt something tugging on his jacket. When he glanced down, Frisk was there giving him a stern look and tsked him disapprovingly. Sans frowned contemptuously, but did not continue his tirade. You watched nervously as Sans stomped over to the refreshment table to grab himself a drink and continued to pout. You'd never seen him so moody before, and it kind of made you nervous.  
  
Undyne clapped a hand to your shoulder. "Don't worry about him. Sometimes he can be a big baby when he doesn't get his way."  
  
"Uh... ok..." you turned to Mariana. "So, how did that babysitting thing go?"  
  
"Oh, it started off alright, but he got crankier as the night wore on. I think he could have used an afternoon nap, and he's clearly doesn't like it when he's not the center of attention." she replied with an agitated look on her face.  
  
"Ah, that sucks. At least it's over, right?"  
  
"Yes, thank god." she replied sourly.  
  
Frisk tugged on Mariana's shirt and motioned for her to bend down closer.  
  
"What is it, kid?" she bent down to Frisk's level. Her eyes widened as Frisk quickly gave her a peck on the cheek, then backed off, winking and shooting her the finger pistols. "Oh my **god!** You little flirt!" Mariana laughed hard.  
  
The rest of you began laughing as well. "Frisk certainly knows how to end a bad mood, don't they?" You chuckled.  
  
Frisk puffed out their chest proudly.  
  
The next guest to arrive was Mettaton, and you didn't even need to look to feel Sans' glare from across the room.  
  
"Good evening beauties, and gentlebeauties!" Mettaton greeted. "I am so sorry I was unable to make it to dinner tonight. I, unfortunately, got a little caught up in other important matters. I trust that the two of you had an enjoyable evening, regardless?"  
  
"We did." you stated simply, watching the robot carefully. You weren't angry about being set-up on a date with Papyrus. On the contrary, you were glad they did. However, you couldn't help but be curious about how much effort was put into the whole thing. Maybe you'd ask them at some point?  
  
"YOUR RESTAURANT WAS VERY GREAT, BUT I THINK THERE WAS SOME SORT OF CELL PHONE SERVICE INTERFERENCE, AS I APPARENTLY NEVER RECEIEVED ANY OF MY BROTHER'S CALLS."  
  
"My! How... unfortunate." The look on Mettaton's face said that he thought that fact was anything BUT unfortunate. "I will have that looked into."  
  
Frisk patted their hand on Mettaton's arm and, once they had his attention, pointed to the section of floor that had been cleared off for dancing.  
  
"You would like to dance? Why, of course, dear Frisk! I would be delighted to! If you'll please excuse us..." The two headed over to the dance floor.  
  
For most of the evening, Frisk seemed to make it their mission to stay by Mettaton's side, and thus ward off Sans' wrath. Those two were quite a pair, really, and seemed to feed off of each other's attention.  
  
"FRISK ACTUALLY APPEARED ON SOME OF METTATON'S SHOWS BACK UNDERGROUND. THEY WORKED SO WELL TOGETHER THAT THEY BROKE METTATON'S OWN VIEWING RECORD BY SEVERAL THOUSAND." Papyrus told you.  
  
"I can see why." you replied as you watched the two dance in what looked like a choreographed manner.  
  
As the evening wore on, things went fairly smoothly. Sans' anger seemed to dull with time and a little encouragement from Toriel as she plied him with joke after joke, and with him defused, Frisk was able to spend more time with Flowey and Monster Kid. You, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, and Mariana all had your turns on the dance floor, too.  
  
Things were dialed down as midnight approached and the TV was tuned in to the celebration on the Ebott City commons, where the mayor and Asgore were hosting the countdown itself. Everyone in the room was paying rapt attention, and counted along as the countdown began.  
  
"Ten!"  
  
"Nine!"  
  
"Eight!"  
  
"Seven!"  
  
"Six!"  
  
"Five!"  
  
"Four!"  
  
"Three!"  
  
"Two!"  
  
"One!"  
  
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" the crowd, both in the room and on TV cheered. Party poppers and noise makers were going off, and you hooted and hollered along with everyone else.  
  
You turned to smile at Alphys and Undyne, and blushed a bit as you saw that Undyne had lifted Alphys into her arms for a passionate kiss. You glanced around and saw that they were not the only ones, either. Dogamy and Dogaressa were nuzzling each other, a bunny and dragon guard you didn't know well were also locking lips, as well as a few others.  
  
"HAPPY NEW YEAR, _____!" Papyrus beamed at you.  
  
"Happy new year to you, too, Paps." You smiled back.  
  
"SO, DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS?" he asked.  
  
"I'm not sure..." You thought about this for a minute. "Well, if possible, I'd like to reconcile with Asgore and Gerson." You stated.  
  
"THAT IS A GOOD GOAL! I'M SURE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO DO IT!" Papyrus smiled supportively.  
  
"... And I'd kind of like to get into more holiday traditions."  
  
"OH? YOU MEAN LIKE GOING OUT TRICK-OR-TREATING?"  
  
"Well, yes. I think it'd be fun to go out with you and Frisk next year." you chuckled. "But, I was thinking I could start with this..." You reached up and gently pulled Papyrus' head down closer before pressing your lips to his teeth.  
  
Papyrus was briefly stunned by your actions, before he brought his hands to your face, his eye sockets sliding closed, and he began to hesitantly move his teeth against your lips. Kissing a skeleton was still kind of strange, but oh-so much better this time. There was something... almost electric about it, and you could almost make out a thrumming sensation that your hazy mind could only describe as 'Papyrus'. Somewhere in the back of your mind you noted more cheering and a sharp wolf-whistle nearby, but you didn't really care.  
  
Finally, the two of you parted, both of you blushing brightly and panting slightly. You felt the nervousness of being in a new relationship, but also the eagerness and excitement, and you saw those same feelings reflected in Papyrus' gaze.  
  
This was already looking like it was going to be a good year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! It's about time! No more beating around the bush for these two! Although that doesn't mean there isn't plenty of awkwardness and fluff left. 
> 
> **Important note for you guys:** I was originally going to skip Wednesday's update, then get back on schedule next Saturday. However, as I warned you guys before, I'm a World of Warcraft nerd, and the pre-expansion patch comes out on Tuesday. That means a slew of new stuff to do in preparation for the expansion. Also, I've been playing Pokemon Go, and I have a bunch of games on Steam that I bought during the summer sale that I've been valiantly resisting in an effort to keep up with my update schedule here.  
>  tl;dr : I'll have less time to write, and won't be able to update as often. I'm going to try making updates once a week on Saturdays and see how that goes.  
> There is some good news, though. While I've already known what the major plot points and approximate order of events will be for the rest of the fic, I took the time last night to plot out a chapter-by-chapter summary of what should happen. This means I have an estimate of how many chapters there will be now, and what will happen in each one. (But I'm keeping that a secret. ;) ) No more finishing a major plot point and going "Well, now what? It's too soon to jump into the next catastrophe." Of course, it's just an estimate, and subject to change (I've had at least 1 chapter where literally NOTHING I planned for it actually happened, and it got pushed off to the following chapter) but it gives me a very solid basis for my writing, which should make it easier. 
> 
> So, until next week, just bask in the gloriousness of Papyrus and Reader FINALLY getting together!


	33. Bonus Chapter: All Hands on Deck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got what I'm calling a "bonus chapter" for you guys, here! Basically, what this is, is a telling of the events that lead up to and through the previous chapter, but from a few different perspectives. You'll get to see how the date with Papyrus was set up, who did what, etc. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!

_December 24th_  
  
Undyne and Alphys waited with baited breath. The mistletoe was planted, and they'd lured Papyrus and _____ into the kitchen. Mettaton had been a little ways away from the door to the kitchen, keeping an eye on what was going on. The idea was that this would give them some measure of privacy to do things on their own, however, if that failed than Mettaton was within striking range to get there and give them a little helpful push. Undyne had wanted to be the one to do that, but they'd decided that Mettaton was better suited for that job. Besides, he was able to record everything he saw, so they'd be able to see the moment of glory without crowding the doorway.  
  
Mettaton had entered the kitchen a couple minutes ago to nudge the two oblivious love birds in the right direction. Alphys was just starting to get nervous when Mettaton rolled backwards out of the kitchen and slipped through the crowd, making his way back over to them. Alphys immediately noticed the lights on Mettaton's display flashing anxiously.  
  
"So, what's the word, nerd? Was the plan a success?"  
  
"Unfortunately, there was a... complication..." Mettaton informed them.  
  
"Oh, no... what happened?" Alphys asked.  
  
They were distracted as you hastily exited the kitchen. Not long after, a distraught looking Papyrus and smug looking Sans exited as well.  
  
"Sans is what happened." Mettaton pointed out.  
  
"That over-protective dweeb!" Undyne growled in annoyance.  
  
"What did he do?"  
  
"He teleported between the two of them right before they could kiss, and they both wound up kissing him instead." Mettaton accompanied the description with a brief playback of the scene on one of his displays.  
  
"Ugh! How is Papyrus suppose to move forward with Sans acting like he's still an innocent little babybones?" Undyne grumbled.  
  
Alphys sighed as she watched Sans shoot you another glare. "Operation: Mistletoe was a bust."  
  
"It was a good plan, Alphy. We just failed to take Sans into account." Undyne consoled her.  
  
"Indeed. Do not feel bad! While they did not actually kiss, they are now both fully aware that they wanted to." Mettaton pointed out.  
  
"Y-you think so?" Alphys looked at Mettaton hopefully.  
  
"Of course!" Undyne encouraged. "This means the next plan will be even more likely to succeed!"  
  
"Especially since the next plot was crafted by master of romance, yours truly!" Mettaton boasted.  
  
"I hope you're right. They both deserve to be happy." Alphys glanced once again at you and then Papyrus.  
  
"Don't scrap those fan fics just yet, Alphy! We're just getting warmed up!" Undyne grinned. She turned to Mettaton "So, what's the plan, scrap heap?"  
  
Mettaton harrumphed at the nickname, but, after making sure Sans wasn't within hearing distance, explained anyway. "As I have already told Alphys here, I have a new restaurant opening up on New Year's Eve. It will be the epitome of fine dining, and the perfect place to encourage a blossoming romance!" his volume began to rise and he posed with a flourish.  
  
Undyne elbowed Mettaton. "Hey! Keep it down! Or did you want your plan to fail before we've even tried it?" she hissed.  
  
A volume bar appeared on Mettaton's display and decreased a bit. "As much as I hate to admit it, you're right. A romantic dinner for two will hardly be effective if Sans becomes a third wheel, or prevents it altogether."  
  
"Not only that, but _____ has always vehemently denied that she and Papyrus are anything but friends. If she realizes that we're setting her up on a date with him, she might refuse to go." Alphys pointed out.  
  
"That could be a problem..." Mettaton considered this. "Hm... _____ is charmingly polite and friendly... I'm sure if we could get her there with Papyrus, she wouldn't abandon him even if she did realize what we were doing."  
  
"What if we made it a group thing, and had everyone else 'cancel' at the last minute?" Alphys suggested.  
  
"A brilliant idea, darling!" Mettaton beamed. "Naturally, Sans won't be invited."  
  
"We'll have to be careful with Papyrus, though, if we want to keep Sans out of the loop. If we don't tell him to keep it a secret, he's bound to spill the beans to Sans, but if we DO tell him to keep quiet, he's going to want to know why." Undyne explained.  
  
"Then we will not tell him until the last minute." Mettaton responded.  
  
"W-what if he refuses?" Alphys worried.  
  
"Leave that to me, darling. How could he possibly resist a personal invitation from his **favorite** star?"  
  
"Heh. The bag of bolts is right. Papyrus would probably do just about anything he asks." Undyne agreed.  
  
"Very good! After a bit of wining and dining, dinner and dancing, those two will be head-over-heels for each other!" Mettaton boasted.  
  
"Er... did you say dancing?" Alphys asked.  
  
"Well, of course, darling! The evening would HARDLY be complete without a little dancing! Why do you ask?"  
  
"Heh. See for yourself." Undyne hooked her thumb in Papyrus' direction, where he was doing some goofy dance he'd seen on the internet.  
  
"....." Mettaton stared in disbelief. "... It seems I've got my work cut out for me... Very well. We'll just need to teach him to dance."  
  
"But how are you going to do that without Sans finding out and becoming suspicious?" Alphys asked.  
  
"Heh. Leave that one to me." Undyne grinned. "If I tell Papyrus it's some top-secret new training technique, he won't breath a word to anyone, and no one will suspect a thing."  
  
"Perfect!" Mettaton was pleased with that.  
  
"That still leaves us with the problem of what to do about Sans. Even if he doesn't suspect a thing, what happens if he goes looking for Papyrus during the date?" Alphys asked.  
  
"We'll just need to make sure he doesn't go looking for them. Either that, or that he can't find them." Undyne shrugged.  
  
"That is a problem we'll need to solve, but that will have to wait until later. We must look suspicious enough right now, so I suggest we split up and enjoy the rest of the evening. We will discuss this more at a later date."  
  
Alphys and Undyne agreed, and the group split up.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
_December 26th_  
  
"Yeah! Way to go, punk! I knew you could do it!" Undyne grinned. "Looks like we can finally move on with your training!" She hadn't really expected the good news that you'd figured out how to tap into your magic.  
  
"Thanks..." you wheezed.  
  
"This is great news! That means you both get some special training!" Undyne was very excited.  
  
"SPECIAL TRAINING?"  
  
Undyne focused on Papyrus. "...That's right! I've got something special planned for you, Paps! It's going to require strength, precision, and stamina! You think you can handle it?!"  
  
"YES, MA'AM!" Papyrus grinned excitedly.  
  
Hook, line, and sinker! "Now, this is a new regimen I'm thinking of implementing, so it's hush-hush for now. I want to give it a week, see how it goes, and decide from there. Alright?"  
  
"YOU CAN COUNT ON ME!"  
  
Undyne smiled at this. Of course she could count on Papyrus. It was one of the things she loved about the big lug.  
  
"That said, this is pretty important, so would you mind if we waited until New Years to start your magic training, _____?" Undyne really didn't want to put off your magic training, but this was important, and she'd need to put her full effort into teaching Papyrus these dances if she wanted to be sure he'd be ready for New Year's Eve.  
  
"Um... sure?" You seemed surprised by this, but didn't argue.  
  
"Great! Now that that's settled, let's go, punk! We've got our work cut out for us!" Undyne grinned at Papyrus, and lead him off towards her training room. The two entered the room, and she turned and locked the door behind them.  
  
Papyrus gasped when he saw Mettaton already waiting there. "M-METTATON! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"  
  
"Why, I am here to help with your training, darling." Mettaton purred.  
  
"REALLY?? WOWIE! I... WELL, I HONESTLY THOUGHT THAT YOU AND UNDYNE DIDN'T GET ALONG..."  
  
"We don't always see eye to eye, darling, but we're perfectly capable of putting aside our differences when it comes to the things that really matter." Mettaton explained.  
  
"Alright, Paps. What we're going to be teaching you is some seriously top-secret stuff, so you can't go telling ANYONE about it. I don't even want people knowing that Mettaton is helping. Is that understood?"  
  
"OF COURSE. UNDYNE! MY LIPS, IF I HAD ANY, WOULD BE SEALED!"  
  
"Good! Then let's get started with your first lesson!"  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Dancing lesson number one was... well... they hadn't managed to set the house on fire. That was a plus, right? It was for their cooking lessons, so Undyne saw no reason not to count it as a plus for this. Mettaton on the other hand...  
  
"That was ATROCIOUS! Simply abominable! Ghastly!" he groaned dramatically.  
  
"H-hey! Don't be so hard on him! It was only his first lesson!" Undyne defended Papyrus, since he was not here at the moment to defend himself.  
  
"That is all well and good, my dear, but if we're to have him ready for New Year's, then he'll have to improve VERY quickly."  
  
"Heh. Don't underestimate Papyrus. When he sets his mind to something, there's very little that can stand in his way. He's probably at home practicing right now! ... Well, mentally anyway, since we warned him not to practice the actual moves because that could give away the secret."  
  
"I do hope you're right. If I was not made of metal, my feet would be absolutely ACHING with how often he stepped on them. As it is, I really need to go home and buff out all the scuffs and marks." Mettaton pouted.  
  
"If you're going to be such a pansy about it, maybe I should practice with him?" Undyne grumbled.  
  
"Please! You do not know the moves! How could you possibly teach him!"  
  
"Maybe by starting with the basics? You can't throw the poor guy straight into the advanced stuff and expect him to do well!"  
  
"In case I haven't reminded you enough, we are on a rather limited schedule." Mettaton sniffed hotly at Undyne. "We still need to come up with some way to deal with Sans during the date."  
  
"Let's leave that problem to Alphys for now. She knows him far better than either of us. If anyone can figure out how to deal with Sans, it's her."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
_December 27th_  
  
Alphys had no idea how to deal with Sans. She sighed wearily. The biggest problem with Sans was that he was clever and observant. Even if he didn't suspect that something was afoot, which he did ever since the mistletoe incident, he was likely to pick up that something was off.  
  
"I just don't know what to do, your majest-er, I mean, Toriel..." Alphys forcibly corrected herself. No matter how often the queen asked her to call her simply by her name, Alphys found herself slipping back into the old title.  
  
"Hm... " Toriel sipped at her tea. "So, you are certain that these... friends of yours-"  
  
"D-distant friends!"  
  
"-these 'distant' friends of yours, are romantically interested in one another, but the brother is determined to keep them apart?"  
  
"Y-yes! It's so tragic! They're so close, and yet they can't seem to find that right moment to finally admit their feelings! I-I'm suppose to figure out how to distract the brother, but I'm afraid he knows us all well enough that he'd see through anything I tried."  
  
"I see." Toriel hummed thoughtfully. "If the issue is that he's familiar enough to see through your efforts, perhaps you should pit him against someone he's not so familiar with. I'm sure that Mariana friend of yours would be happy to help distract Sans."  
  
"That... That's a wonderful idea! Toriel, you're a genius! He-" Alphys stopped short as she realized exactly what Toriel had just said. "D-did you just say... but I didn't..."  
  
Toriel chuckled. "I'm afraid your attempt to obfuscate the identities of Papyrus, _____, and Sans were not very good." Toriel gave Alphys a sympathetic smile as she blushed furiously.  
  
"B-but you- I thought..."  
  
"You thought I would not approve of you trying to encourage Papyrus to become romantically involved with _____ because she is one of the seven mages?"  
  
"Y-yes..."  
  
"I will not claim that I do not find the thought a little concerning... However, I have kept up with all the reports on her, and after having spent some time speaking with her, myself, at the party, I have seen no indication that she is anything but the kind person you have all described. Perhaps her time as the barrier mage is something long gone in ancient times? Either way, it seems it would be just as unfair to judge her on her past lives as it would be for us to judge today's humans on the actions of their ancestors." Toriel explained calmly. "Besides, if those two are truly interested in one another, than it is no one's business but their own. I am willing to help you keep Sans away so that they have time to figure out their feelings in private, but you must promise me, if it does not work out as you hope, that you will accept their decision and leave them be. While it is wrong for Sans to keep them apart, it is just as bad for you to try and force them together."  
  
"Yes. I understand. Thank you, Toriel." Alphys smiled in relief, and Toriel smiled back.  
  
The two were distracted by a shuffling, and looked over to see Frisk entering the kitchen, carrying Flowey.  
  
"Frisk! What are you doing out of bed? You should be resting!" Toriel spoke, standing and walking to the child.  
  
'I want to help Papyrus and _____, too.' Frisk signed before sniffling and wiping their nose on their sleeve.  
  
"Do not wipe your nose there." Toriel chided and reached into her pocket for a tissue. "How long were you standing there, my child?"  
  
Frisk blew their nose into the tissue.  
  
"Pretty much the whole time. You two weren't exactly being subtle." Flowey answered in Frisk's stead.  
  
'I heard everything. That's why you didn't want me to see her, isn't it? Because she's one of the mages who created the barrier?'  
  
"You must understand, my child, that it is a very delicate matter. Monsters have feared human mages for centuries now. If she had turned out to be hostile, as my adopted child you could have been in significant danger. At the same time, we could not have word getting out about who she was, or it could have started a panic." Toriel explained.  
  
'But she's a good person.'  
  
Toriel smiled gently. "So she is. That is why I am no longer restricting you from being around her. Just remember, child, that others may view her with the same fear and wariness that I did, so please do not tell anyone what you have learned here."  
  
Frisk nodded in understanding, then changed the subject. 'Papyrus really likes her. I want to help him.'  
  
"I think the best thing you can do to help for now is to concentrate on getting better, so that Papyrus does not worry over your health." Toriel told them.  
  
Frisk pouted, but the effect was ruined when they started sneezing and sniffling.  
  
"Now, back to bed with you!" Toriel shooed.  
  
"Can we at least get the glass of water we initially came out here to get?" Flowey asked.  
  
"Of course. You go lay down, I will bring you the water, and we'll check your temperature again."  
  
Frisk reluctantly did as they were told.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
_December 28th_  
  
"So, I'm going to be running interference on Sans?" Mariana asked.  
  
"That's the plan. Sans doesn't know you well, so he'll have a hard time reading you and figuring out what you're really doing." Alphys explained. "Toriel has offered to help if she can, we just need a good excuse for him to spend time with you."  
  
"Well... Is there anything in particular he likes to do? Maybe I can get him to show me one of his hobbies?"  
  
"Um... I don't think Sans really has any hobbies, besides telling jokes?"  
  
"Maybe we could go to a comedy club?"  
  
"Hm... Maybe. But we'd need a reason why you'd need him specifically to go with you."  
  
"Maybe everyone I know is busy, and I don't want to go alone?"  
  
"Maybe... There's also the problem that Sans is pretty lazy, so he may not want to go at all... Oh! How about Grillby's?"  
  
"What's Grillby's?"  
  
"It's this monster bar and grill that Sans frequents. Honestly, he'll probably be there, anyway, so you'll just have to make sure he stays there and keep his mind off Papyrus!"  
  
"Oh! I know there's monster food, is there also monster alcohol?"  
  
"Well, yes-"  
  
"SOLD!" Mariana grinned.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
_December 30th_  
  
"I AM GLAD YOU ARE FEELING BETTER FRISK!"  
  
'I think your soup really helped!' Frisk signed in response.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH... WELL, IT WAS _____'S RECIPE..." Papyrus blushed.  
  
'Mom told me who she really is, you know. Can she really use magic?' Frisk watched Papyrus excitedly.  
  
"ERM... WELL... YES, AND NO... SHE HAS USED MAGIC A COUPLE TIMES, BUT SHE ONLY RECENTLY LEARNED HOW TO ACCESS IT INTENTIONALLY. UNDYNE WILL BE TEACHING HER HOW TO USE IT AFTER NEW YEAR'S."  
  
'I bet she's really excited about that!'  
  
The look on Papyrus' face said otherwise.  
  
'What? Isn't she excited?'  
  
"WELL... NO. SHE WAS SORT OF PUSHED INTO IT. SHE'S ACTUALLY KIND OF AFRAID OF HER MAGIC..." Papyrus looked saddened by this.  
  
"Afraid? Of what? Sealing us back underground and living happily on the surface without monsters again?" Flowey sneered.  
  
Frisk pinched Flowey and gave them a scolding look.  
  
"OW! Hey!" Flowey rubbed his leaves together to sooth the pinch.  
  
"WELL... SORT OF. I THINK A PART OF HER IS AFRAID THAT SHE COULD DO THAT TO MONSTERS AGAIN... BUT I THINK SHE'S ALSO AFRAID OF OTHER HUMANS. SHE TOLD ME THEY DO NOT LIKE MAGES, AND SHE'S BEEN HURT BY THEM MANY TIMES BEFORE IN HER PREVIOUS LIVES..."  
  
'I can understand why she'd be afraid.' Frisk signed solemnly, seemingly lost in dark thoughts. The mood hung heavy and silent around the three, before Frisk seemed to pull out of their thoughts enough to begin signing again. 'But... but she's not alone. She's got you, and me... Undyne, Alphys, and many others who care about her, or are growing to care about her. Maybe all she needs is to be shown that having magic doesn't mean she's broken. That...' Frisk paused in their signing and looked Papyrus in the eye, something deep and empathetic in their gaze, before they opened their mouth and spoke in a quiet tone, "That being different doesn't mean she isn't worthy of being loved..."  
  
Papyrus pulled Frisk into a hug, pouring all the love he had into the embrace. He didn't know the details, but he knew that Frisk's life before falling into the Underground was not a happy one. When they had emerged from Mount Ebott, there had been a time where Frisk had confessed that they were afraid that their birth parents would try to take them away from Toriel and their monster friends. However, as time passed, no one came. It was both relieving and sad.  
  
Eventually, Frisk pulled back from the hug, soothed by the affection of their friend.  
  
"YOU ARE RIGHT, AS ALWAYS, FRISK. HOW DID YOU GET TO BE SO SMART?"  
  
Frisk's small smile grew a bit. 'It's because I have lots of cool and smart friends to learn from.'  
  
"Ugh." Flowey grunted in disgust at the sappy display. "H-hey! Stop that!" Frisk had grabbed Flowey's pot and pulled the protesting flower into a hug. "You're so sappy, I think I'M going to start puking now." Flowey grumbled.  
  
Frisk turned back to Papyrus. 'So, what are you going to do to show _____ that her magic's a good thing?'  
  
"I DON'T KNOW..."  
  
'Are you going to kiss her?' the suggestion was accompanied by Frisk puckering their lips and making kissy sounds.  
  
"F-FRISK!!" Papyrus blushed at the suggestion. "I-I HARDLY THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE!"  
  
"Why don't you just get her a card or gift or some junk? Isn't that what people do to celebrate other people's accomplishments?" Flowey suggested disinterestedly.  
  
"THAT'S A GREAT IDEA, FLOWEY!" Papyrus beamed at the flower, who sputtered a bit at the praise, trying to maintain his aloofness.  
  
'You should get her something special! Something that really shows her how proud you are that she's learning to use her magic!' Frisk signed excitedly.  
  
"YES, BUT WHAT?"  
  
The three began to brainstorm.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
_December 31st_  
  
Forward. Back. Twirl. Dip. Swing out, and come back close again.  
  
"Very good, darling!" Mettaton purred after he stopped the music. Papyrus, who was still flush up against him, blushed.  
  
"Yeah! Great work, punk! I knew you could do it!" Undyne grinned proudly from where she was standing, observing. Papyrus blushed even harder.  
  
"T-THANK YOU!"  
  
"I guess that concludes our training." Undyne walked over to the two as they parted. She pretended to think hard about this before speaking again. "While it seems to be good exercise, I don't think I'll be implementing it into the guard training."  
  
Papyrus seemed a bit disappointed. "THAT IS UNFORTUNATE."  
  
"Hey! It's nothing on you, Paps! You did great! There's just not enough combat applications for these exercises." Undyne consoled him.  
  
"Then I suppose we will no longer need to keep this training a secret?" Mettaton prompted.  
  
"Nope! Feel free to show whoever you like what you learned, Paps."  
  
"REALLY? WOWIE!"  
  
"In fact, why don't you show _____ if you get a chance? I'm willing to bet she'd really like it." Undyne grinned at Papyrus.  
  
"YOU THINK SO? SHE'S NOT USUALLY INTERESTED WHEN I TALK ABOUT MY TRAINING EXERCISES..."  
  
"Well, of COURSE she's not interested when you TELL her about them, darling. What you should be doing is SHOWING her." Mettaton purred.  
  
"BUT THIS EXERCISE REQUIRES TWO PEOPLE, AND SHE DOESN'T KNOW THE STEPS... WOULD ONE OF YOU BE WILLING TO HELP ME SHOW HER?"  
  
"Pah! You didn't know the steps, either, when we first showed you. Just lead her through it, like we did for you." Undyne pointed out.  
  
"I SUPPOSE THAT COULD WORK..." Papyrus contemplated this for a moment before becoming excited. "WHEN I GET A CHANCE, I WILL BORROW THE MUSIC FROM YOU SO THAT I CAN SHOW HER!"  
  
"Of course, darling, but don't hesitate to seize the opportunity if you hear these songs playing on the radio." Mettaton winked.  
  
"NYEH?" Papyrus was a bit confused why Mettaton would emphasize that. It wasn't like he'd ever heard those songs on the radio before. Maybe they were new and so he hadn't had the opportunity before?  
  
"Anyway, I think this calls for a celebration!" Undyne said.  
  
"I agree, darling, and I know just the thing! I'm opening a new restaurant this evening. It would be the perfect place to celebrate dear Papyrus' success in learning these training exercises in only a week."  
  
"Isn't that the super-fancy restaurant you've been talking about?"  
  
"Why, yes! Only the best for dear Papyrus! I'll invite all your dearest friends, provide you with beautiful clothes, transportation, and of course the bill will be on me... It will be wonderful!"  
  
"REALLY?! WOWIE! YOU'RE SO GENEROUS, METTATON!" Papyrus beamed excitedly.  
  
"Eh... you go ahead. I think I'll pass."  
  
"WHAT? BUT UNDYNE..."  
  
"Nope! I don't want to hear it! You know 'fancy' isn't my thing. That doesn't mean you shouldn't go and enjoy it, though. Besides, I told Toriel I'd help her set up for the party tonight." Undyne smiled gently at Papyrus.  
  
"IF YOU'RE SURE..."  
  
"Of course I am, dork!" Undyne clapped him on the back. "You go have a good time! You can tell me all about it tonight!"  
  
"OKAY!"  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The time for Operation: Wine and Dine was fast approaching. Alphys sat at her computer reviewing her coding yet again.  
  
"It's fine, babe. You've already checked it five times in the past ten minutes." Undyne tried to reassure her.  
  
"I know, I know... It's just really important that the Soul Tracker's disabled during the date, because if Sans looks at it and realizes _____ isn't where he thinks she should be, or if he realizes what's happening and tries to use it to find her and Papyrus, the whole thing will be ruined! And on top of that, I have to be sure that it properly blocks his calls and texts to Papyrus or _____." Alphys began wringing her claws anxiously.  
  
"Don't worry. That's what Mariana's for! She'll keep him so distracted, he won't even THINK of checking it!" Undyne smiled confidently.  
  
"I hope so..."  
  
"Come on! It's time we got to Toriel's!"  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"What did the cowboy say to the snake?" Toriel asked.  
  
"i don't know. what?"  
  
"You seem **rattled.** " She grinned.  
  
Sans let out a deep laugh.  
  
"alright, alright. i got one. what do you call a pig that does karate?"  
  
"I do not know. What?"  
  
"a **pork chop.** " Sans grinned and winked.  
  
Toriel howled with laughter. As their chuckles died down, the doorbell rang. "Ah... hah... that must be Undyne and Alphys coming to help me set up for this evening's party. If you will please excuse me."  
  
"of course." Sans smiled lazily, and Toriel left to let them in.  
  
A few moments later, Undyne and Alphys entered the room. "What's up, nerd?!" Undyne greeted, and Alphys waved.  
  
"heya. i'm surprised papyrus isn't with you." Sans observed.  
  
"He said something about there being a sale on spaghetti. He'll be here later." Undyne shrugged nonchalantly.  
  
Sans cocked his head slightly in thought. He didn't remember seeing anything about a sale on spaghetti in the paper... then again, he mostly just read the funny pages. He shrugged it off.  
  
"Are you going to help set up for the party, too, Sans?" Alphys asked him.  
  
"heh, nah. i'm busy holding down this couch so it doesn't escape." he smiled lazily.  
  
"Sans, it would not be fair for everyone else here to help out and for you not to." Toriel eyed him sternly.  
  
Sans' smile fell a bit. However, his saving grace entered the living from where she had been visiting Frisk.  
  
"Oh my god, Sans! Alphys told me a while back that monsters have their own alcohol, and Frisk just told me that you frequent a monster bar! Chillies, or Grillies, or something..." Mariana struggled with the name.  
  
"grillby's." Sans supplied.  
  
"Yes! That was it! You have GOT to take me, like, right now!"  
  
"sure, but what's the rush?"  
  
"I've been wanting to try monster alcohol and see how it compares to human alcohol since I heard about it! But I don't get out to Monstertown very often, and I don't like drinking alone, but everyone's been busy with the holidays and..." she paused from her rambling to take a breath, "And it's my last chance to do this before the year ends! PLEEAAAASE!" Mariana gave Sans her best puppy-dog eyes.  
  
"If you do not wish to help us set up for the party, the least you could do is accompany Mariana and ensure her safety." Toriel gave Sans a significant look.  
  
Sans understood perfectly. Monsters weren't the only ones being targeted by protestors. Any humans that seemed too chummy with monsters were at risk, too, and if Mariana were seen exiting a monster bar, inebriated, at night, she was bound to attract trouble.  
  
"alright, alright. you guys sure you don't need me to supervise?" Sans grinned at the others.  
  
"Ugh, no. Go on, you nerd." Undyne rolled her eye.  
  
"YES! Let's go!" Mariana grabbed Sans by the wrist and promptly dragged him out the door.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"Heya, Sansy!~" an inebriated looking rabbit monster sitting in a booth near the door purred as he entered. The lascivious look on their face was replaced with a pout when Mariana followed him in, however.  
  
"Hi, Sans!" greeted Dogamy.  
  
"(Is that the human from the Christmas party?)" Dogaressa asked.  
  
"yep. mariana here wants to see how well she holds up against monster alcohol." Sans smiled in amusement.  
  
"Oooh! First time, eh? Don't worry, if it turns out to be too much, just ask us for some hair of the dog."  
  
"(I've shed plenty to spare.)"  
  
Mariana snorted in amusement. "Thanks for the offer, but while I've never had monster alcohol, I'm no stranger to the human variety. I'm sure I'll be fine."  
  
Sans and Mariana took up a few seats at the bar.  
  
Grillby walked over to the two and nodded in greeting.  
  
"hey, grillby. how's it going?"  
  
"Alright, although it would be better if you were here to pay your tab." the fire elemental spoke.  
  
Sans gave a nervous chuckle, and quickly changed the subject. "so, this is mariana. she's here to try some monster alcohol."  
  
Grillby turned his attention to Mariana, who was watching his flames in fascination. "What can I get you?"  
  
"Oh, um... Do you have any recommendations?"  
  
Grillby considered this for a moment. "If you have never tried monster alcohol before, I'd recommend a Snowfall. It is a lighter drink that originates from Snowdin, and is similar to the human rum and coke. I'd also recommend ordering something to eat first, if you have not had dinner yet."  
  
Mariana's stomach growled loudly at the mention of food. "Haha! Well, guess that answers your question!" she laughed, slightly embarrassed.  
  
"hehehe. you sound hungry enough to eat my watch, but that would be a little **time consuming.** " Sans winked at Mariana.  
  
Mariana let out a snort of laughter. "That was TERRIBLE!"  
  
"you still laughed." his grin grew wider. Then he turned to Grillby. "why don't you bring us a double order of burg and fries, grillby? my treat."  
  
Grillby nodded, then turned and left to fill the order.  
  
Mariana turned to Sans. "You didn't tell me the bartender was so cute!"  
  
Sans' brows rose at that. "You got the **hots** for Grillby?"  
  
Mariana grinned at him. "What can I say? I can get a little **heated** over a guy in uniform."  
  
Sans looked amused. "you better be careful around him, though, or you might get **burned.** "  
  
Mariana scoffed. "You're just jealous because he's too **hot** for you to handle!"  
  
There were a few snickers from nearby patrons.  
  
Sans narrowed his eyes at Mariana in challenge. "you really want to play this game? around here, i'm known as the **pun** geon master."  
  
"More like **pungent** master." Mariana grinned deviously at Sans, while feigning waving away a stink.  
  
There was a mix of 'Ooh!'s and laughter at that one.  
  
"oh, it's on."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Mettaton relaxed in his own private dining area of The MTT Palace. Papyrus and you had just been seated in a private dining hall per his orders and things seemed to be going well enough, although it was still early. He was watching you through the security cameras in the room, and listening in via a few listening devices planted throughout the room.  
  
Mettaton waved over the human he'd chosen to be your server. The young man was both clever and charming. "Offer them a sample of this." Mettaton handed him an expensive bottle of chardonnay.  
  
The waiter looked at it and whistled appreciatively. "This is quite the expensive bottle."  
  
"Well, of course, darling. Only the best for my friends. While I do not think dear, sweet Papyrus will be interested, _____ might, so be sure to really sell it to her. She may be a little reluctant to openly admit her feelings for Papyrus, but, as they say, in vino veritas." Mettaton grinned slyly.  
  
"Of course, sir!" the waiter bowed and took his leave.  
  
Mettaton turned his attention back to the camera feeds. He still had the music they'd taught Papyrus to dance to ready at a moment's notice. It was just a matter of finding the proper timing. He smiled. With the proper encouragement, he'd have you two confessing your undying love by the end of the evening.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Time seemed to fly by, and Mariana was having a great time. She had ultimately lost her pun battle with Sans, but had earned a round of drinks from the other patrons for keeping up so well, and even a few congratulatory pats from the dogs, including those who showed up mid-battle for dinner. She did, however, catch Sans eyeing his phone in concern several times. It was becoming harder and harder to distract him from it.  
  
"You know what would really liven this place up?" she nudged Sans who was, once again, focused on his phone. He glanced up at her briefly. "Karaoke."  
  
"uh, yeah. sure." Sans went back to his phone.  
  
Mariana frowned briefly. This wasn't good. "Come on, **Sansy** , it'll be fun!" She grinned teasingly as she emphasized the nickname, grabbed him by the arm, and tugged him over to the jukebox, breaking his concentration on his phone.  
  
"trust me, you don't want me to sing."  
  
"Hah! Don't worry! Karaoke means 'tone deaf' for a reason. Being bad at it is half the fun!" she browsed through the selection, and grinned when she found something. "Oh, this one's appropriate!"  
  
There was a brief silence as the music switched tracks. The dogs looked up from their game of poker as the first part of the song began to play.  
  
_Who let the dogs out? [Who, who, who, who?!]_  
  
_Who let the dogs out? [Who, who, who, who?!]_  
  
_Who let the dogs out? [Who, who, who, who?!]_  
  
_Who let the dogs out?_  
  
Mariana hopped into the song, "When the party was nice, the party was bumpin!"  
  
_[Hey, yippie yi yo!]_  
  
"And everybody havin' a ball!"  
  
_[Hah, ho, yippie yi yo!]_  
  
"Until the fellas start the name callin!"  
  
_[Yippie yi yo!]_  
  
"And the girls respond to the call! The poor dog show up!"  
  
_[Ha ha ha ha!]_  
  
"Who let the dogs out?!" Mariana gestured to the table of dogs, who barked enthusiastically in response.  
  
"Who, who, who, who?!"  
  
"Who let the dogs out?!" Mariana nudged Sans, who laughed, shaking his head in exasperation.  
  
"Who, who, who, who?!"  
  
"Who let the dogs out?!" Mariana grabbed hold of Sans, turning him to face her and giving him a challenging look.  
  
"Who, who, who, who?!"  
  
"who let the dogs out?" Sans somewhat begrudgingly joined in, unable to suppress his grin of amusement.  
  
"Who, who, who, who?!"  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Mariana played a few more songs, encouraging Sans and the other patrons of the bar to sing along. Everyone seemed amused by her antics, although the dogs left partway through to head over to Toriel's party. Grillby himself just chuckled in amusement. Not even Burnin' For You was enough to get the quiet fire elemental in on the fun.  
  
Gradually, the distraction lost its charm, though, as Sans once again became glued to his phone, looking worried and becoming irritated whenever Mariana tried to distract him.  
  
Papyrus still hadn't answered any of Sans' calls or responded to any of his messages. He'd checked the soul tracker early on to see where you were, figuring Papyrus might be with you, but the program was crashing when he tried to open it. Alphys had responded quickly to his text, admitting that she'd goofed and submitted a bad build for the update earlier, and that she'd fix it when she got back to her lab. She'd also assured him that she knew where you were, anyway, so he shouldn't worry. He hadn't been too worried, at first, since it wasn't that unusual for Papyrus to get caught up doing things. He always responded after an hour or two, though. Now, though, it was closing in on four hours since he'd first texted his brother, and that meant that Sans was worried.  
  
Sans looked up as Mariana's text alert went off, and she seemed to sigh in relief. She quickly schooled her face, and tried to look nonchalant. Now THAT was suspicious...  
  
"Hey, Sans. I just realized how late it's gotten. We should head back to Toriel's house before we miss the entire party." She told him as she tossed some money onto the bar to pay for her meal and drinks.  
  
"yeah, sounds good." Sans responded, leading the way outside. "bet you're glad your job here is done."  
  
"Yeah, no kidding. It was fun, but-" Mariana's eyes widened as she realized exactly what was just said. Whoops. Perhaps she HAD had too much to drink. She slowly turned to look at Sans, who was staring at her with pitch-black eyes, his grin unsettling.  
  
**"W h e r e  i s  m y  b r o t h e r ?"**  
  
A shudder ran down Mariana's spine. She knew she was busted, but holy CRAP. "H-he's at Toriel's..." Sans continued to stare at her, allowing the silence to pressure her into filling it. "W-well... he is now, anyway."  
  
Sans let this information wash over him for a minute. "and you were here making sure i didn't go looking for him, right?"  
  
Mariana just nodded. She was not terribly eager to piss Sans off even more by not cooperating. Besides, her job was already done.  
  
"heh..." Sans let out an short, bitter laugh. "then i guess we better get back to tori's, huh? come on. i know a shortcut." Sans gripped Mariana's wrist more roughly than was strictly necessary, and in the blink of an eye, they were gone.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Sans walked up to Toriel's door, seething, as Mariana dashed over to the nearest potted plant and, now reeling from the unexpected trip, lost a good portion of the booze she'd just consumed. She made a mental note to apologize to Toriel later, but for now she just wiped off her mouth and rushed after Sans who had just roughly pushed open the door and walked inside.  
  
Sans spoke with Papyrus for a bit before stomping off to the refreshment table. He now knew for a fact that both Mariana and Mettaton had been in on this ploy, and he'd be willing to bet everything he owned that Undyne and Alphys were in on it, too. He was pissed. Didn't they realize how bad you were for Papyrus?  
  
As the night wore on, Sans' anger faded. Having Toriel and his other friends there to talk to him helped. What also helped was the fact that he didn't see any major differences in how you and Papyrus interacted. You both blushed easily, but that was nothing unusual. He'd mostly calmed down by midnight, and stood next to Tori as the countdown began.  
  
"Ten!"  
  
"Nine!"  
  
"Eight!"  
  
"Seven!"  
  
"Six!"  
  
"Five!"  
  
"Four!"  
  
"Three!"  
  
"Two!"  
  
"One!"  
  
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"  
  
Sans glanced around at the happy crowd. Some were cheering, some were kissing, and you and Papyrus were chatting. He turned to Toriel.  
  
"happy new year, tori." he smiled at her.  
  
"Happy new year to you, as well, Sans." she smiled back.  
  
In the few moments it took for him to do that and then glance back in his brother's direction, you had pulled Papyrus down into a kiss. Sans' eyes immediately went dark.  
  
"son of a bitch!" he growled angrily, taking a step towards you. His movement, however, was stopped by a large furry hand on his arm. He turned back angrily to Toriel. "let me go."  
  
"Sans..." Toriel gave him a well-practiced, motherly scolding look. "You should be happy that your brother has found someone he cares about, and who clearly cares about him."  
  
"and i would be if it wasn't her!" he grumped.  
  
"Why do you dislike _____ so much?"  
  
"it's not that i dislike her... she's a nice enough person, for the most part, but she's a magnet for trouble." Toriel patiently waited for him to continue. "i'm sure you know about all the times she's gotten into trouble or gotten hurt in some way. at the fair, from gerson, at meet co, from undyne, hell, she can't even manage to stay safe in her own apartment." Sans was exasperated. "and every time something happens to her, papyrus ends up hurting, too, whether he was involved with the incident or not. and the closer he gets to her, the more he'll hurt with her. i can't stand seeing my bro like that, tori. that's why she's no good for him."  
  
Toriel considered Sans' words. "It is true that Papyrus has always displayed great empathy for others, and it is also true that he may be hurt at times from his closeness to _____." Sans smiled bitterly at Toriel's agreement. "However, whether he takes that risk or not is not your choice to make." Sans frowned. "Papyrus is an adult, and perfectly capable of making his own decisions. As his brother, you should respect that. If he wishes to engage in a relationship with _____, the best you can do is offer the both of them your support and protection, and hope for the best." Toriel finished firmly.  
  
Sans looked back over at his brother and you. In this moment, right here, right now, you both seemed so **happy**... Smiling, and blushing, and holding hands, and being teased and congratulated by your friends... Sans' nonexistent gut twisted. He didn't like it, but Tori was right. His brother wasn't a child, and as badly as Sans wanted to protect him, it wasn't his choice to make.  
  
Sans watched you turn bright red as Papyrus flirted with you, and he prayed... he prayed to any and all gods that might listen... that you weren't a disaster waiting to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sans is just so CONFLICTED about everything. He wants his brother to be happy and safe, and doesn't seem to see any way to accomplish both. He's also having a WEE bit of trouble accepting that his baby brother is all grown up now. 
> 
> And, yes, I did just imply a nasty past for Frisk. I don't think I'm going to actually include it in the story, but here's the gist of it:
> 
> Frisk discovered they had magic pretty young. Their parents were not so keen on it, to say the least, and Frisk was abused because of it, resulting in them refusing to speak. They eventually figured out how to reset to before their parents found out about their magic, and hid it from them on the second run through. However, Frisk still remembered the abuse and remained mute. Thus, instead of thinking something was wrong with Frisk because of magic, their parents thought there was something mentally wrong with Frisk. This resulted in things not being much better for them, and Frisk eventually fled up Mount Ebott, a mountain known for its disappearances. I think you guys know the story from there. (In this canon, Frisk's reason for not staying with Toriel initially is because they do not have much experience with caring guardian figures, and thus cannot accept that they could live a happy, abuse-free life with Toriel. However, as they journey through the Underground and meet so many kind people who are trying their best while suffering in their own way, Frisk realizes that they're not so different from them, and comes to accept all of monsterkind as the family they wish they had.)
> 
> As for what's up with their parents afterwards, they're still alive, but they've essentially abandoned Frisk. In their eyes, Frisk was a "broken" child, and thus they abandoned Frisk like a piece of garbage. (Also, they're likely the type to unabashedly hate monsters.)


	34. Lingering Doubts

"Ugh... Did we have to do this so EARLY? Today's suppose to be my day off..." you whined.  
  
Undyne scoffed. "Suck it up, punk. The only reason I let you sleep in this late was because of the party last night."  
  
It was currently 9 in the morning and you, Papyrus, Undyne, and Alphys were in Undyne's training room to finally begin teaching you how to control your magic. The two of you had gotten home late last night, and Papyrus had basically had to drag you out of bed like you were a grouchy toddler come morning. You weren't sure how he managed to have so much energy on so little sleep.  
  
"But unlike you, we didn't leave the party right after midnight." you tried to reason.  
  
"Well, now, whose fault is that, huh?" Undyne was having none of your excuses.  
  
You grumbled to yourself as Alphys giggled. Papyrus gave you a slightly sympathetic smile.  
  
_"Didn't stop him from dragging me out of bed to get ready to come over here this morning..."_ you grumbled in your head, in no mood to accept his sympathy.  
  
"Alright, enough whining. Let's get started!" You focused your attention on Undyne, a little nervous about what was to come. "Now, what we're going to start with is forming a ball of magic in your hand. Like this." Undyne held up her hand, and you watched as a glowing green ball of magic formed just above her hand. It was perfectly spherical and shone brightly and evenly.  
  
"Okay...? What's that do?" you asked curiously.  
  
"Erm.. well, nothing, really. It's harmless and pretty useless, except for maybe lighting up a dark room."  
  
"Then why am I doing this? I thought I was going to be learning to form a barrier?" this was not what you expected from this lesson.  
  
"Heh... Well, it's become pretty clear to me lately that jumping straight into the advanced, or even standard level, stuff may not be the best teaching method. So, we're starting with the babybones basics." Undyne explained.  
  
Alphys chimed in, "Forming a ball of magical energy is something all monster children learn. It teaches them to not only tap into their magic, but also how to pull that energy away from themselves and begin molding it to their will. The shape itself is fairly easy to make imperfectly, while allowing young monsters to practice their control by attempting to smooth out the ball, or mold it into other basic shapes."  
  
"IT'S ALSO LESS LIKELY TO SUDDENLY EXPLODE!" Papyrus helpfully provided.  
  
"Explode?!" you repeated in a slightly panicked tone.  
  
"Yeah. Sometimes when learning to form their magical attacks, a kid will lose control of their magic and it just sort of explodes. But unless you make it volatile by putting the intent of attacking someone into its formation, the magic ball should be fine." Undyne shrugged nonchalantly.  
  
"And your barrier magic is defensive based, so there should be little chance of that exploding once we get to that point." Alphys reassured you.  
  
"Lovely..." Given your lengthy failure in just accessing your magic, you were a bit worried that you'd manage to beat the odds on the explosions, too...  
  
"Enough yakking! It's time to get to work!" Undyne ended the conversation.  
  
You shifted nervously, took a deep breath to calm yourself, then focused on the feeling of admiration. You felt your magic begin to flow, and then held up your slightly glowing hand, palm up.  
  
_"Okay... so I just... will it to form a ball, I guess?"_  
  
You focused on the shape of a ball, and your saw your magic ripple a bit in your palm, but otherwise do nothing. You grunted in annoyance and tried again. Your magic bulged a bit, looking almost like a water droplet clinging to the underside of a surface before it merged back down into the rest of your magic. As your annoyance grew, your focus on the admiration powering your magic wavered and the flow stopped.  
  
"Shit..." you cursed.  
  
"LANGUAGE." Papyrus chided, although the look of concentration on his face made it apparent that it was said automatically without any thought behind it.  
  
"Try again." Undyne ordered.  
  
You tried focusing on getting your magic flowing again, and while you did manage to tap into it, it was weaker than before. You tried forming the magic ball, anyway, but got nowhere with it.  
  
"Oh, come on! What was that?!" Undyne was exasperated.  
  
You blushed in embarrassment, and Alphys came to your defense. "Undyne, you know many monsters struggle a bit with this when they're first learning."  
  
"Yeah, I know that, but her first attempt was stronger, and there's no way she should be tapped out on magic already!" Undyne protested.  
  
"Well, she's still new to that, too. If she lost focus on her trigger, than it's no surprise that she's having trouble accessing it."  
  
"That's something we'll definitely have to work on." Undyne grumbled, then turned back to you. "Right. For now, just focus on admiration and get your magic back up so we can continue practicing. You can practice accessing it without your trigger later."  
  
You tried focusing on your admiration again, but you were feeling too flustered and embarrassed, which only grew worse the longer you tried. You were so busy focusing on your failure to properly summon your magic that you didn't notice Alphys whisper something to Undyne, who then sidled up to Papyrus and whispered something to him.  
  
Papyrus nodded in understanding. He then walked up to you and grabbed your hands in his own, breaking your concentration and bringing your attention up to him. He smiled broadly at you, his stance oozing confidence. "YOU CAN DO IT, _____! YOU ARE A VERY GREAT PERSON, AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE THE UTMOST FAITH IN YOU!"  
  
You blushed a bit at his declaration, and your frustration and embarrassment over your failure evaporated immediately, replaced with your love and admiration for the confident skeleton before you. Your magic flared immediately, far stronger than it had been even during your first attempt. Alphys and Undyne grinned at each other.  
  
"Now, try again." Undyne coaxed.  
  
Papyrus stepped back, releasing your hands, but maintaining eye contact with you as he smiled encouragingly. You took a breath and lifted your hand once again. You focused on lifting the magic from the palm of your hand. It flowed and stretched upwards like a bubble from a bubble wand. It wavered a few times, trying to merge back down into the flow of your magic, but each time you thought of Papyrus watching you, silently cheering you on, and focused harder on lifting the growing bubble away from your palm. Finally, it seemed to reach its breaking point and snapped free of the rest of your magic, hovering above your hand itself. It wiggled and morphed, misshapen like an especially lumpy pear, and the glow of the translucent white magic within it shifted, dulled, and brightened erratically as you tried to maintain it. Moments later, the constant shifting grew to be too much and it popped like a soap bubble, the magic dissipating into the air harmlessly.  
  
Undyne spoke up as soon as it dissipated. "Now that's more like it!" she grinned proudly at you.  
  
"That was very good!" Alphys encouraged you.  
  
"SEE? I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!" Papyrus beamed.  
  
Your magic had been lumpy, unstable, and had taken you several minutes to form, unlike the one Undyne had summoned in an instant. However, you were proud of yourself none-the-less. It was only a baby step, but it was still a step forward, and your friends were here to cheer you on. You smiled back at them, encouraged.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"Undyne began teaching _____ magic, today, you know." Toriel commented as she kneaded the dough for the pie she was baking.  
  
"Did she now? Hrm." Asgore rumbled from his seat at Toriel's kitchen table, growing lost in thought.  
  
Toriel glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Are you going to order her to stop?"  
  
Asgore contemplated this for several long minutes before answering. "No."  
  
This caught Toriel by surprise, but only mildly. "Oh? Why not?"  
  
Asgore shifted a bit uncomfortably. "Because it is what I would have done in her situation." It wasn't just what he WOULD have done in her situation, it was what he HAD done.  
  
Toriel paused her kneading and turned her head to examine Asgore more closely. He seemed tired and dispirited, although that was sadly not that uncommon for him lately. It was rare these days for him to leave the embassy on anything but official business, and he was only here today because Frisk had begged him to come visit. Asgore had gladly played with the child until they grew tired, still not at their full strength after their illness, and decided to take a nap. Now, he was seated at her table with the weight of all the troubles monsters were facing resting on his shoulders once again.  
  
She felt a stab of sympathy for the man she had once loved. It was not easy being the one responsible for the safety and freedom of an entire people, especially when surrounded by those who seemed determined to hinder his progress every step of the way.  
  
"Am I... Is that wrong? Should I tell Undyne to stop?" Asgore asked, sounding so uncertain.  
  
"No." Toriel stated simply, returning to kneading the dough. "Although she is familiar, she is not the same person you knew long ago, and she should not be judged on that person's mistakes."  
  
Asgore seemed mildly relieved. Toriel had always had the better head for these types of situations, so her confirmation of his decision meant a lot to him.  
  
"I still worry, you know..." Asgore began again. "... that whatever convinced her to betray us before will convince her to betray us again..."  
  
"I suppose that is possible, but it would seem unlikely."  
  
"How can you be so certain?"  
  
"Because this time, she is in love." Toriel smiled softly.  
  
Asgore blinked in surprise. "In love? With whom?"  
  
Toriel's smile widened. "A certain energetic young skeleton with whom all her friends worked very hard to arrange a, quite successful, date."  
  
Asgore let that bit of information wash over him. "Well, gee..." He didn't know what to say to that. If that was true... If she truly was in love with Papyrus, than perhaps he would be her anchor and ensure that she did not stray down darker paths.  
  
Asgore felt his burdens slightly lifted.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
It was just after noon by the time Undyne let you stop practicing. By that point you'd expended nearly all of your magic, barely able to summon enough to make your pendant glow. You were seated on the floor, feeling utterly exhausted.  
  
"Although I would have preferred you to practice longer, I guess that was a good first day." Undyne capitulated.  
  
"You did very well!" Alphys smiled at you.  
  
"YES, YOU DID! AND WITH DAILY PRACTICE, YOU'LL ONLY GET BETTER!" Papyrus tried to encourage you.  
  
It had the opposite effect, however, as the idea of exhausting yourself this thoroughly every day sounded downright terrible. Especially since it wasn't even mid-day yet!  
  
"Clearly we've got a few areas you need to work on. First off, you're going to need to practice summoning your magic without your trigger, since there will probably be times when you need your magic, but your trigger is absent. Secondly, you're going to need to practice forming and maintaining your magic. You did pretty good for a beginner, but you've got a long way to go. Work on stabilizing your magic once it's formed, and then work on manipulating the shape. Once you've got those down a bit, you can also start working on forming your magic more efficiently. Honestly, you wasted a hell of a lot of magic each time you formed that tiny little blob, and with that much waste you wouldn't last 2 minutes in an actual fight. Related to that, using your magic regularly should help increase your stamina, too." Undyne gave you her assessment.  
  
You just nodded blankly from your position on the floor, only vaguely taking in what she'd just said.  
  
"So, I expect you to practice EVERY DAY, you hear me? And, Papyrus, I'm making it your job to be sure that she does!" She turned to Papyrus.  
  
"OF COURSE, UNDYNE!"  
  
Undyne turned back to you as you continued to nod blankly. "And by 'training' I do NOT mean 'making out with your new skeleton boyfriend', although you're welcome to do that as well." She grinned deviously.  
  
You continued to nod blankly before Papyrus' embarrassed sputtering and Alphys' giggling caused you to actually think about what she'd just said. When it clicked you traded the nodding for a brilliant blush. This, of course, caused Undyne to howl with laughter.  
  
"Bet you thought I didn't notice you not paying attention, huh, nerd?!" Undyne's tone challenged you to try and deny it. "You think you're tired now, just wait until next week! I'm gonna push you to your limits and beyond, so you better be ready!!"  
  
You groaned at her declaration and flopped onto your back. The near future was sounding worse and worse by the second.  
  
Papyrus watched you flop down on the ground in exhaustion. "DO NOT WORRY, _____! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL MAKE YOU A LUNCH THAT IS SO GREAT YOU WILL BE BACK TO FULL STRENGTH IN NO TIME!"  
  
"Hey, that's not a bad idea! We haven't had a cooking lesson in a while. Wouldn't want to get rusty!"  
  
Alphys gave you a sympathetic pat, but couldn't restrain her giggles at your cringing.  
  
_"Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll set the kitchen on fire again and I won't have to eat whatever they plan on making?"_  
  
You could only hope.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
It took a few days of trial and error, but you and Papyrus managed to work out a reasonable training schedule. You'd go to work, come home, have a little time to de-stress however you liked before dinner, eat, then spend a couple hours training until you were tired, and finally off to bed to start again the next day. This was much better than training before dinner, falling asleep at the dinner table, and then being late to work the next day because you had to get dried spaghetti out of your hair the next morning. (At least Papyrus washed your sheets for you while you were at work.)  
  
Sans had practically disappeared from the house since New Year's. He spent most of his time either at one of his jobs, at Grillby's, or holed up in his room. He hadn't even joined you or Papyrus for any meals.  
  
"I think Sans is avoiding us... or me, at least..." you commented to Papyrus as the two of you washed the dishes from dinner.  
  
"NYEH? WHAT MAKES YOU SAY THAT?"  
  
"Well... he's almost never home lately. I mean, he hasn't even shared a single meal with us since New Year's..."  
  
"THAT'S NOT THAT UNUSUAL FOR SANS. BEFORE YOU MOVED IN, HE MOSTLY WENT OUT TO EAT. THE FACT THAT HE JOINED US FOR MOST OF OUR MEALS IN DECEMBER WAS... ACTUALLY KIND OF WEIRD FOR HIM."  
  
"Really?" You immediately assumed that his sudden interest in home-cooked meals had been a result of you teaching Papyrus how to make something edible, but that wouldn't explain why he'd suddenly stopped... Then again, he had never been your biggest fan, and you were now dating his brother, so...  
  
"YES. I JUST ASSUMED THAT GRILLBY HAD FINALLY REFUSED TO SERVE HIM UNTIL HE PAID OFF HIS TAB." Papyrus handed you a plate to dry.  
  
"Hm..." you contemplated that for a bit, then decided that you really had no idea either way.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Your concerns about Sans only increased as the week continued. The few times you'd seen him, he'd blatantly ignored you. You'd even tried asking him how work had been and all you'd gotten was an incredibly tense smile and a "good," from him before he'd turned and walked off, effectively ending the conversation before it could begin.  
  
Papyrus had noticed Sans' odd behavior, too. For one, he really WAS barely home. While he was used to Sans going out to eat a lot, he wasn't used to his brother being gone almost the entire day, every day. Secondly, and possibly a result of him never being home, his brother had stopped playing pranks on him. He hadn't found a single dirty sock left in the living room to annoy him, or any battery-powered alarm clocks hidden around the house and set to go off at different intervals, and it had been ages since Sans last changed all the pictures on his computer, covers of his books, and even bedroom wallpaper to pictures of... what was the name of that human actor again? Nicholas Cage? Finally, Sans' jokes had gotten bad, and not in the usual groan-inducing way...  
  
Papyrus appeared in the doorway to the kitchen as he saw Sans open the front door, catching your attention from the couch as well. "SANS! WHERE ARE YOU GOING? I THOUGHT YOU HAD SATURDAYS OFF? WE WERE GOING TO WATCH SOME MOVIES AFTER BREAKFAST!"  
  
Sans turned to his brother and gave him a tense grin. "sorry bro, no can do. apparently, taking a day off is not something you should do when you work for a security company," he winked and his grin widened.  
  
A long silence stretched out as you and Papyrus stared at Sans in confusion. He was acting like he'd just told a joke, but...  
  
"O....KAY??" Papyrus was very confused.  
  
"Do you... do you mean a calendar company?" You asked.  
  
Sans looked at you in confusion. "... that's what i... oh..." He seemed to realize that he'd screwed up the joke. Sans blushed furiously before muttering. "i've gotta go..." and walked out the door.  
  
You and Papyrus stared awkwardly at the door for a few minutes after he'd gone.  
  
"That was pretty bad, even by Sans' standards." you commented absently.  
  
"IT'S NOT THE FIRST JOKE HE'S MESSED UP THIS WEEK, EITHER. HIS JOKES ARE BAD, BUT THEY USUALLY AT LEAST MAKE SENSE..." Papyrus was still watching the door worriedly.  
  
"Maybe you should talk to him?" you suggested.  
  
Papyrus nodded in agreement. "YES... SOMETHING IS CLEARLY BOTHERING HIM. BUT... SINCE HE WON'T BE HOME UNTIL LATER, THAT WILL HAVE TO WAIT." Papyrus finally turned his attention towards you, putting on a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "IN THE MEANTIME, WE'VE GOT MOVIES TO WATCH, FOOD TO PREPARE, AND LOTS OF TRAINING TO DO BEFORE WE GO OVER TO UNDYNE'S TOMORROW TO SHOW HER YOUR PROGRESS!"  
  
You, too, put on a smile you weren't quite feeling. "Sounds good, Paps."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
This was the first day you and Papyrus really had time to spend together since New Year's that didn't involve practicing your magic until you were exhausted. As it turned out, things were... awkward. You both sat stiffly on the couch as the first movie played, neither of you quite sure what to do with yourselves. It was kind of funny, really. Before, you never even considered where or how you were sitting in relation to Papyrus. You just sort of sat down and laid back in whatever way was comfortable, depending on who else was there. Sometimes neither of you were touching, and sometimes you were practically in his lap. Now that you were, well, dating, you'd become hyperaware of every little touch and movement.  
  
Papyrus shifted nervously next to you. Should he move closer? Wrap his arm around your shoulders? Pull you to his side and cuddle? Maybe that would be too forward? He had absolutely no idea what was expected of him now. Sure, the two of you touched and leaned against each other and such before, but that was done platonically! He didn't want to give you the wrong impression. He tried thinking of the Mettaton and human movies he'd watched where two characters became involved. A lot of them became physical before they'd even admitted their feelings, but those were usually after some harrowing, action-packed, life-threatening scene, and to be honest, he wasn't sure he was quite ready for that kind of a relationship yet. Thinking of other, less physical, scenes didn't really clear things up, either. Sometimes the pair would cuddle and be lovey-dovey and everything would be fine. Sometimes, though, it was a set-up where the man came across as pushy and ungentlemanly and the woman ran into the arms of another. What if touching you caused the latter? What if he offended you and you ran off to be with someone else? That was the last thing Papyrus wanted. But sitting here like this was tense and awkward, and he couldn't help but feel that it wasn't helping at all. What was he suppose to do?!  
  
You weren't paying any attention to the movie. You were too busy watching Papyrus shift and twitch out of the corner of your eye, his expression nervous and his eyes staring blankly in the direction of the TV. You watched him shift his weight to lean slightly towards you, then quickly shift back the other way. His fingers curled and uncurled in his lap, briefly tapping against his femur before he seemingly became aware of the action and clasped his hands together instead. You had dated before, but never anyone quite so nervous and inexperienced. Not that that was a necessarily a bad thing! It was actually kind of endearing that you could get the normally confident skeleton so flustered. However, it became increasingly apparent that you'd have to be the one taking the first step here.  
  
You reached out and placed your hand on his forearm. The result was Papyrus launching like a coiled spring off the couch away from you. He whipped around and stared at you with wide eyes as you stared at him in surprise, your arm still outstretched to where he had been sitting.  
  
"I..." he choked on his words. "I-I'M GOING TO MAKE US SOME MORE POPCORN!" He grabbed up the nearly full bowl and rushed off to the kitchen.  
  
_"Ouch..."_ you cringed at his rejection of your touch and poor excuse to get away from you. With how he'd been acting, you'd expected him to probably jump a bit at the sudden contact, not flat-out run away. To be quite frank, his reaction hurt.  
  
Papyrus worked on steadying his breathing as he waited for the new bag of popcorn to finish popping. _"IT'S ALRIGHT. IT'S OKAY. SHE JUST TOUCHED YOUR ARM. THAT'S A GOOD THING. WELL, FREAKING OUT ABOUT IT MIGHT NOT BE, BUT YOU CAN JUST GO BACK IN THERE AND EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE. REMEMBER! YOU ARE THE GREAT PAPYRUS!"_ Papyrus psyched himself up. Once the new bag of popcorn was done, and the bowl topped off, he returned to the living room much calmer and more confident. That confidence, however, was shattered when he noticed that you'd moved all the way over to the arm of the couch opposite the side he normally sat on, which you were now curled up and leaning against. You could not physically get further away from his spot while still on the couch. You looked... unhappy, and did not acknowledge him as he sat back down. Papyrus felt terrible.  
  
You both watched the rest of the movie in a tense, awkward silence. Neither of you moved, even once the credits began to roll. Papyrus eventually stood up and started putting in the next movie.  
  
Finally, you spoke up. "I'm sorry." you shifted awkwardly where you sat.  
  
Papyrus turned to look at you in mild confusion as the tray with the new disk retracted back into the player. "FOR WHAT?" he asked.  
  
"For, uh, touching your arm. It clearly made you uncomfortable, which wasn't what I meant to do..."  
  
"I... DIDN'T MEAN TO REACT SO STRONGLY. I WAS SO BUSY WORRYING ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF THAT I DIDN'T EXPECT IT... AND THEN I WAS EMBARRASSED ABOUT REACTING LIKE THAT, AND I RAN AWAY, AND WHEN I CAME BACK OUT I KNEW I HAD OFFENDED YOU, AND..." Papyrus trailed off for a moment. "I JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO..."  
  
"So... it wasn't because I touched you?" you asked.  
  
"N-NO! I LIKE IT WHEN YOU TOUCH ME!" Your face colored at the obviously unintentional meaning behind that one. "I JUST... I WAS WORRIED YOU WOULD THINK I WAS SOME RUFFIAN LIKE IN THE MOVIES INSTEAD OF A GENTLESKELETON IF I TOUCHED YOU."  
  
Your eyebrows quirked up at that. "Papyrus... I couldn't imagine you being anything but an absolute sweetheart if I tried."  
  
Papyrus' posture expressed his relief at that.  
  
"How about this: If you do anything that makes me feel uncomfortable or upset, I'll tell you. Or if you want to do something, but are unsure, you can ask. And you do the same for me. Sound good?"  
  
"YES! THAT WOULD HELP QUITE A BIT!" Papyrus smiled at you, and you smiled back.  
  
Papyrus returned to his seat, and you scooted closer to him as he picked up the remote and started the next movie. You placed your hand in his and intertwined your fingers, this time without making him jump a mile.  
  
A few minutes into the movie, Papyrus was shifting restlessly again. Finally, he got up the nerve to speak. "_____?" he asked.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"WOULD IT BE ALRIGHT IF... IF YOU LEANED AGAINST ME LIKE WE DO SOMETIMES WHEN WE WATCH ANIME AT UNDYNE AND ALPHYS'?"  
  
"You want to cuddle?" You couldn't stop the amused and happy smile from making its way onto your face. Papyrus sputtered a bit before settling for nodding, his cheek bones dusted in a light blush. You responded by scooting closer to him and pushing him further back against the arm rest so you could lean more comfortably against him. His arm automatically came up and around your waist, and you rested your hand upon his when you settled.  
  
Papyrus finally began to relax when he heard you sigh in contentment. This was... good. He liked this. He always had, really. You were so soft and warm, and the way you were so at-ease with him made him feel trusted... special. But now, there was an extra layer to this action. Now... it made him feel loved, as well. Without really thinking about what he was doing, he leaned down a bit and gently nuzzled your hair. You responded by shifting yourself ever-so-slightly further into his embrace, causing his soul to thrum affectionately.  
  
You both smiled contentedly, bathed in the glow of the other's affection.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You had already gone to bed after exhausting yourself with your nightly magic training by the time Sans got home.  
  
"so, what story did you want to hear tonight, paps?" Sans asked, browsing Papyrus' bookshelf.  
  
"SANS..." Papyrus spoke from his seated position on his racecar bed.  
  
"sans? i don't think we own a copy of that one. i could make something up for you if you like, though?" Sans winked at Papyrus, grinning in amusement.  
  
"SANS, WE NEED TO TALK. YOU'VE BEEN ACTING WEIRD LATELY."  
  
"only lately?" Sans teased.  
  
"WELL... NO. YOU ARE WEIRD VERY FREQUENTLY... HOWEVER, LATELY YOU'VE BEEN EXTRA WEIRD, EVEN FOR YOU."  
  
Sans shifted uncomfortably as Papyrus looked at him in concern. He hated when his brother looked at him like that. He didn't want to worry his brother, but it was clearly too late for that. However, that didn't mean he had to go and make it worse.  
  
Sans went to respond, but Papyrus beat him to it. "AND DO NOT LIE TO ME, SANS." Papyrus was giving Sans a look that went right through the older skeleton. Papyrus knew his older brother lied to him at times. It always hurt, but he knew his brother did it to try and protect him. This, however, was serious. His brother wasn't acting like himself, and he was worried that his brother might be sinking into one of his depressive fits that he'd had regularly when they were underground. He hated seeing his brother like that, and he was determined to do everything he could to prevent it, which meant accepting none of his brother's excuses.  
  
Sans eyed his brother and recognized that he was in no mood for nonsense. He smiled slightly at that. Despite his constant protests, his brother had always been incredibly tolerant of his shenanigans. For him to be forbidding it now meant that his brother really was concerned that something was seriously wrong. It felt good to be reminded just how much his brother cared.  
  
"... not much to tell." Sans shrugged. "just worried about you, is all."  
  
"YOU'RE... WORRIED ABOUT ME?" Papyrus couldn't for the life of him understand why.  
  
"yeah. you're getting awfully close to _____, and that's bound to cause you to get hurt."  
  
Papyrus' brow rose at that. "_____ WOULD NEVER HURT ME." He stated matter-of-factly.  
  
"not on purpose, no, but all that bad karma she built up during the war seems to be coming back at her now. she's a disaster waiting to happen, and i don't want to see you get caught in the middle of it." Sans looked at his brother morosely.  
  
"YOU'D RATHER I JUST DUMP HER? ABANDON HER TO WHATEVER MAY OR MAY NOT COME?" Papyrus was frowning at him now.  
  
"yes- no- i... fuck." Sans cursed. "look, papy, i know she's not a bad person. i do like her, really, and i'd hate to see something bad happen to her. i just... i just can't shake the feeling in my bones that things are going to get worse before they can get better. i... i can't really explain it." Sans knew it was paranoid to think that way, but he couldn't help it.  
  
Papyrus gave his brother a sympathetic look. "I THINK I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL, BROTHER." Sans looked up into his brother's eyes. "I WAS FEELING PRETTY HELPLESS WHILE _____ WAS STRUGGLING TO ACCESS HER MAGIC. BUT... BUT CLINGING TO THAT FEELING WILL ONLY MAKE THINGS WORSE. I LEARNED THAT THE HARD WAY. WE CAN'T BE SURE WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE. ALL WE CAN DO IS TRY OUR HARDEST TO MAKE THE BEST OF IT AS IT COMES."  
  
"heh. you're right as usual, bro. how'd i get so lucky to have such a cool guy lookin' out for me?" Sans smiled at his brother.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH..." Papyrus smiled in return.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Sans settled on the couch after reading Papyrus his bedtime story and flipped on the TV. The dread he felt was still there, but he knew his brother was right. He had no idea what, if anything, was coming, but sitting around in a funk wasn't helping anything.  
  
He couldn't make the two of you break up, and even if he could do that without the consequences of both your hurt feelings, he'd feel terrible if something happened to you afterwards that one of them could have prevented. But what was he suppose to do?  
  
He tensed as a familiar movement caught his attention, but before he could move away, Cleo jumped up onto his lap and was staring him down. His eye sockets went dark as he stared back. She'd had her cast and cone removed yesterday. It was weird seeing her without them. Sans sat perfectly still, willing the little hell beast to get bored and move on. Instead, she broke the stare and butted her head against his hand. Sans didn't know how to react to that. That seemed to annoy her, and she pushed her face underneath his palm. His fingers twitched and she rubbed her head into them. Finally, he seemed to take the hint and hesitantly petted her soft fur. She settled down across his lap and began to purr.  
  
"heh. i guess even something as terrible as you has its good points." Sans smiled in amusement as Cleo purred extra loud when he scratched the back of her neck where the cone had been.  
  
He became contemplative again, and he thought about what Tori had said to him on New Year's. She'd told him to offer you and Papyrus his support and protection, and to hope for the best. Instead, he'd been avoiding the both of you. He sighed. He knew she was right.  
  
He glanced at Cleo's leg now that it was free of the cast. He'd laughed to himself when he first saw her hobbling about the house after the cast was removed. Between now having to deal with a cast-free leg, and the loss of muscle mass that came with it, she'd been moving pretty funny. But she wouldn't have had to deal with that if she hadn't rushed to your defense. She was grouchy and easily spooked, yet she'd attacked a man many times her size to protect you.  
  
"guess i could learn a few things from you, huh?" Cleo just tilted her head, encouraging Sans to scratch behind her ears.  
  
He felt a swell of determination fill him. He may not be able to stop the inevitable, but if this pint-sized little pain-in-the-ass could work up the nerve to protect the one she loved, than so could he.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: The title of this chapter was almost: "Wherein PTGC Can't Think of a Good Title and Decides to Rip Off TST's Title Naming Shtick"  
> Seriously, if you aren't reading Chill or Be Chilled, do it. You will not regret it! (Although I doubt there's anyone here in my tiny little part of the internet that hasn't seen that glorious monster of a fic.) 
> 
> Poor, sweet, adorable, inexperienced Papyrus. He means so well, but he's kind of stumbling through the dark here when it comes to being in a relationship. Good thing Reader understands that. But that's life, right? Things may get a little bit bumpy from time to time, but a good couple will work things out together. 
> 
> And now that Sans has gotten his week-long temper tantrum out of his system, maybe he can be a little more helpful and supportive?


	35. Helpful Guidance

You weren't sure what exactly Papyrus and Sans had talked about that night last week after you'd gone to bed, but whatever it was seemed to have a drastic effect on Sans' behavior. Not only had he stopped avoiding and ignoring you, but he'd joined the two of you at Undyne and Alphys' house for your weekly training assessment, just like he had during December. The difference, though, was that, instead of taunting and mocking you all the time, he was... actually really helpful. While Alphys was great with the textbook side of magic, Undyne's strength was the application of magic, and Papyrus was well practiced with carefully controlling his magic, none of them were the best at explaining the practical side of what they did. At least not in beginner's terms. Sans, on the other hand, was a master of sloth, and thus knew exactly how to do things in the simplest, most efficient manner possible, including explaining how he did it.  
  
"you're thinking about it too hard." Sans commented lazily from his spot on the couch as you practiced your magic.  
  
You sighed vaguely in annoyance. He told you that very same thing. A lot. About almost everything, actually. It didn't matter if you were working on forming and shaping your magic, trying to do so efficiently, trying to access it without your trigger, or just seeing how long you could maintain your magic. You were always 'thinking about it too hard.'  
  
You glanced in Sans' direction and realized the lazy bastard hadn't even cracked an eye to look at you. "How can you know I'm thinking too hard if you aren't even watching?" you grumbled.  
  
"i can feel it from here." he commented with a shrug, still not opening his eyes.  
  
"HE IS RIGHT..." Papyrus chimed in, somewhat sheepishly.  
  
"How so?" you asked, grumpily.  
  
"I DON'T KNOW IF HUMANS CAN FEEL IT, TOO, BUT MONSTERS ARE SENSITIVE TO NEARBY MAGIC. WHEN YOU START GETTING FRUSTRATED AND THINKING TOO HARD, YOUR MAGIC GETS ALL SPUTTERY AND WEIRD." Papyrus explained, looking a bit like he was worried you'd be mad at him for taking his brother's side.  
  
"Oh..." You weren't entirely sure what to say to that. It certainly explained why everyone got so twitchy when you started getting particularly frustrated, even if you thought you kept it fairly hidden.  
  
"stop thinking so hard on what you're trying to do, and just let it come naturally." Sans told you.  
  
"Easier said than done, apparently." you muttered.  
  
"look, it's really not that much different than that meditation thing papyrus told me you can do. honestly, that's probably a type of magic related to the fact that you've been reincarnated. the main difference is in what you want the final result to be. with the mediation, you're looking for memories. with this session, you just want your magic flow, even without your trigger." Sans calmly explained.  
  
"So, how do I go about getting those different results?"  
  
"simple. clear your mind, and just let yourself feel."  
  
You blinked at him. "That... really isn't any different from what I normally do. The only real difference would be my intent- oh!"  
  
"exactly." Sans smiled as it clicked.  
  
"BUT DIDN'T YOU TRY THAT BEFORE WHEN YOU WERE STILL JUST TRYING TO ACCESS YOUR MAGIC?"  
  
"Well, yeah, I did... But I also didn't really know what it felt like to have my magic flow freely."  
  
"that's why learning from your trigger makes the whole process easier. when it comes to magic, understanding and intent are key."  
  
"Thanks, by the way, for helping me with this." You smiled at Sans.  
  
"heh. I do what **arcane.** "  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Papyrus conjured a bone, gripping it in front of him just in time to block the spear. He then dodged the next spear and lunged forward, forcing Undyne to jump back a bit. The two circled each other, watching for the subtle cues that would announce the other's next move. Papyrus summoned an array of bones and launched them at Undyne, but she deflected them with practiced ease with her spear, not even bothering to try and dodge. She retaliated with an array of energy spears, which she launched at him from all directions. Papyrus twisted and blocked this way and that, but several got through regardless.  
  
"Time out!" Undyne called as the last energy spear faded, not even bothering with the follow up spear. Papyrus stood there panting from exertion. "What was THAT? You're off your game today, Papyrus." she scowled.  
  
"S-SORRY..." Papyrus said between panting breaths.  
  
"Seriously, what's up? Something bugging you?" Undyne gave him a concerned look.  
  
"WELL..." Papyrus spoke up as his breathing evened out, but hesitated briefly. "UNDYNE... YOU'RE A GIRL, AREN'T YOU?"  
  
Undyne stared deadpan at Papyrus. "If you are insinuating that you think I'm NOT a girl, I am going to beat the hell out of you." She threatened, voice as calm and expressionless as her face, but her eye belied her fury.  
  
"W-WHAT? N-NO! THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" Papyrus sputtered, paling a bit. "I MEAN... WELL... YOU ARE A GIRL, SO YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE ONE..."  
  
"And...?"  
  
"AND... YOU'RE DATING A GIRL, SO YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO DATE ONE, TOO, SO... I WAS KIND OF HOPING... YOU COULD MAYBE... GIVE ME SOME DATING ADVICE?" Papyrus finished, giving her his best puppy-dog look in hopes that she'd forget about being angry with him and decide to help him.  
  
It seemed to work.  
  
Undyne's face immediately softened, before a broad grin spread across her features. "Of course! Why didn't you say so before, Paps?" She smacked him rather roughly on the back of his shoulder. "Come on! Let's grab ourselves a snack and you can ask me anything you like!"  
  
The two made their way from Undyne's training room to the kitchen. Undyne began passing Papyrus sandwich stuff from the fridge, and then the two of them settled down at the table to begin assembling their sandwiches.  
  
"So, what did you want to know?" Undyne asked while stacking several layers of meats, cheeses, and vegetables on her sandwich.  
  
Papyrus' sandwich was coming along a lot slower than Undyne's, and he seemed to be more looking through the sandwich than at it. "WELL... IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE OUR FIRST ACCIDENTAL DATE, AND I KNOW I SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING PLANNED FOR OUR SECOND DATE ALREADY, BUT I'M AT A TOTAL LOSS! MY DATING RULEBOOK DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE SECOND DATE. IT JUST SORT OF TALKS ABOUT HAVING A SUCCESSFUL FIRST DATE AND THEN SEEMS TO CONSIDER THAT THE END?? ANYWAY, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT SORT OF THINGS GIRLS LIKE WHEN IT COMES TO DATING..."  
  
Undyne contemplated Papyrus for a few moments. "Hm... when it comes to date ideas, I'd say the more active, the better. I mean, you ever gone out to the movies with someone? You can't talk to them while there, and if you DO then everyone gets pissed, you get in a huge fight in the middle of the theater, and then banned for life!" Undyne huffed in agitation. "I mean, I only threw one chair at the guy, and it didn't even hit him!"  
  
"I DON'T THINK YOU'RE SUPPOSE TO THROW THEATER CHAIRS AT PEOPLE, UNDYNE. THEY'RE BOLTED DOWN FOR A REASON..." Papyrus stared at Undyne apprehensively.  
  
"Eh, whatever. Jerk had it coming." Undyne scoffed. "Anyway, point is, going out to the movies sucks. Period."  
  
Papyrus wasn't entirely sure he agreed with that, but nodded along anyway.  
  
"So, activities! They're fun, you can talk without being expected to do nothing BUT talk, and they're a good way to get pumped! And what better way to end a date than by being pumped?!" Undyne grinned excitedly.  
  
"THAT SOUNDS REASONABLE. BUT WHAT KIND OF ACTIVITIES?"  
  
"Eh, doesn't really matter, so long as it's something you can both do and that you enjoy." Undyne shrugged nonchalantly and began trying to figure out the logistics of how to eat her massive sandwich, finally settling for crushing it with her fists to make it possible to bite into it, and nearly breaking the table in the process.  
  
"HMM... OKAY. I THINK I CAN DO THAT." Papyrus nodded. "DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER ADVICE ABOUT THE DATE?"  
  
Undyne once again thought about this for a few minutes while eating her flattened mess of a sandwich. "Be the best you can be. You're a great guy, Papyrus; anyone with half a brain can see that. You want to really impress her? Then bring your A-game. Show her just how great the Great Papyrus can really be!" She emphasized the last part by slamming her fist into the table.  
  
"YES, SIR!" Papyrus snapped to attention, before his expression eased into a grateful smile. "THANK YOU, UNDYNE. I'M SURE THAT, WITH YOUR ADVICE, WE'LL HAVE AN EXCELLENT SECOND DATE!"  
  
"No problem, dork. Now, come on! I haven't finished kicking your ass, yet!" She stood and headed out the door towards her training room.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
It was Saturday, and you watched the scenery roll past you as Papyrus drove you to the destination of this mystery date. He'd refused to tell you anything about it, insisting on keeping it a surprise, although he assured you that the date idea was not inspired by his Dating Rulebook before grumbling something about it never mentioning further dates.  
  
If you were completely honest with yourself, you were jittery and pretty excited. Your first date with Papyrus, although great, had been neither of your doing, so this would be your first intentional date. You couldn't help but wonder what sort of things Papyrus had planned. You began to look around curiously as Papyrus pulled over.  
  
"WE'RE ALMOST THERE. HOWEVER, TO AVOID RUINING THE SURPRISE, I'D LIKE YOU TO WEAR THIS." You looked over at Papyrus and saw he was holding out a blindfold.  
  
"Man, you're really serious about this being a secret, aren't you?" you chuckled, taking the blindfold from him and putting it over your eyes.  
  
Papyrus waved his hand in front of your face, just to be sure, before concluding that you really couldn't see anything. "NYEH HEH HEH. YOU'LL SEE, SOON ENOUGH!"  
  
He pulled back out into traffic, and you were left with just what your imagination could come up with. You didn't have long to wait, as after about five more minutes of driving you felt the car slow down and turn into what you assumed was a parking lot.  
  
The car came to a stop, and Papyrus quickly got out and came around to help you out, since you couldn't see a thing.  
  
"THIS WAY!" He said excitedly, taking hold of your hand and leading you. You were lead into some building and down a few corridors. You could hear other people walking about, and you swore a few of them stopped as you approached. You could only assume they were curious about you being lead around blindfolded.  
  
Papyrus came to a stop. "AH! HELLO, HUMAN! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! I CALLED AHEAD ABOUT USING YOUR FACILITY?" Papyrus spoke to someone else.  
  
"Er... right." The person sounded very uncertain. "Here's the gear you requested, sir."  
  
"THANK YOU VERY MUCH!" Papyrus once again began leading the way, and a minute later the two of you stopped again. You could hear other people calling out something. Perhaps they were playing some kind of sport? You couldn't make out what they were saying, though. "HERE, TAKE THIS!" Papyrus handed a bag to you. "YOU'LL WANT TO HEAD THROUGH THIS DOOR AND CHANGE SO THAT WE CAN BEGIN OUR DATE! BUT DON'T PEAK UNTIL YOU DO!"  
  
This explained why Papyrus had told you not to worry about what to wear on the date. "Uh... can I take the blindfold off once I'm inside so that I can see what I'm doing while changing?" you asked.  
  
"I SUPPOSE THAT WOULD BE BEST. I DO NOT THINK THE DATE WILL BE SPOILED BY THAT."  
  
You felt your hand along the wall next to you until you found the door and pushed your way inside. Once the door had shut behind you, you took the blindfold off and began to blink as your eyes readjusted to the light. You looked around and saw that you were in a locker room.  
  
_"Looks like I'm right about this being some sort of sports outing. I suppose that makes sense, given how athletic Papyrus is."_ Sports weren't necessarily your favorite, but you didn't dislike them, either. Some were pretty fun to play, too.  
  
You walked further into the locker room and found a bathroom stall where you could change with some measure of privacy. You opened up the bag and pulled out the clothes Papyrus had requested for you before halting in confusion.  
  
_"Are these... fatigues??"_ You carefully looked over the green camouflage-patterned pants and jacket, along with a green tank top, belt, and boots. _"What the heck? Maybe we're going to play paintball, or something...?"_ You liked the idea of paintball, but probably would have preferred laser-tag, as you'd be less apt to wind up bruised and sore afterwards.  
  
You shook off your growing reservations and changed into the fatigues, storing your own things in the locker they'd provided a key for in the bag. You walked to the locker room door and took a breath before exiting.  
  
The first thing your eyes landed on was Papyrus. He was brimming with excitement in his battle body armor, which looked like he's spent the night polishing it. Then your eyes drifted past him. Beyond him you saw several people in fatigues hastily making their way through an obstacle course as they were shouted at to move faster by whoever was coaching them.  
  
You tensed. "You brought me on a date to a boot camp??"  
  
"NYEH?" Papyrus glanced over his shoulder at the humans struggling through the obstacle course. "OH! DO NOT WORRY, _____! WE WON'T BE DOING THAT!"  
  
You let out a breath of relief. "Thank god."  
  
"COME ON! THIS WAY!" He grabbed your hand and eagerly dragged you through another long corridor before stopping at some gymnasium doors. "THIS" he paused for dramatic effect. "IS WHAT WE'LL BE DOING TODAY!" And with a flourish, he threw the doors open.  
  
Your jaw dropped. In the room there were several monsters double-checking various sections of an obstacle course, but not one like the course outside the locker rooms. No. Whereas the previous obstacle course contained the standard fair of tires, monkey bars, hurdles, a crawl obstacle, and even a short wall climb, this one contained all those turned up to eleven and then some. Some of the differences included: hot coals under the monkey bars, actual barbed wire in the crawl obstacle, a much taller wall, and pendulums swinging back and forth over a pit. In other words, this was the obstacle course from HELL.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH! I SEE YOU HAVE BEEN RENDERED SPEECHLESS IN AMAZEMENT OVER THIS OBSTACLE COURSE!" Papyrus grinned proudly.  
  
"Papyrus, I-" you started to tell him you refused to do this, but were cut off.  
  
"I DESIGNED IT MYSELF, YOU KNOW! IT TOOK MOST OF THE WEEK TO GET PERMISSION TO USE THE SPACE AND THEN SET THIS UP, BUT YOU ARE WORTH THE EFFORT!"  
  
You began to hesitate. "Uh... Paps... I'm pretty sure I'm not really cut out for this sort of thing..."  
  
"NYEH?" Papyrus looked at you like you'd just told him Dwayne, Sans' pet rock, had died.  
  
"... But I'll try my best?" You smiled apprehensively at him, unable to bring yourself to tell him all his efforts were for nothing.  
  
"THAT'S THE SPIRIT!" Papyrus was grinning once again. "COME ON! THE START IS OVER HERE!" He eagerly grabbed your hand and dragged you to the beginning of the obstacle course. He turned to you and straightened up as he began to explain. "THE COURSE IS VERY SIMPLE. YOU START HERE WITH THE TIRES, SWING ACROSS THE ROPE, LEAP OVER THE HURDLES, CROSS THE MONKEY BARS, CRAWL UNDER THE BARBED WIRE, DODGE PAST THE PENDULUMS, AND THEN GET OVER THE WALL TO FINISH!" Papyrus explained, gesturing to each section of the course as he mentioned them.  
  
You groaned, already dreading agreeing to this. You took a deep breath and released it. _"Maybe I'm worrying too much about this. It could be fun, right? I mean, it's not like this is actually some boot camp training regimen. Papyrus just loves this sort of stuff and wants to share that with me. Besides, I'd hate to disappoint him..."_  
  
"ARE YOU READY, _____?" Papyrus asked you, pulling out a stop watch from somewhere.  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be..." You grumbled, turning to face the course and waiting for Papyrus' signal.  
  
"ON YOUR MARK... GET SET... GO!" Papyrus shouted, clicking the stop watch to start it.  
  
You charged into the first obstacle. The tires. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. The size of the tires forced you into a weird sort of gait, but it wasn't too bad. That is, until something whizzed past your head.  
  
"What the hell was that?!" You whipped your torso around to see what had nearly hit you. Flying through the air was some sort of weird glittering orb. You gasped as it arced around and came back towards you. "SHIT!" you ducked as it whizzed past where your head had been. There was a weird giggling to your left, and you glanced to the side and spotted one of the monsters you'd seen examining the course.  
  
"Tinkle tinkle hoy." the monster, which you vaguely recalled being called Madjick, muttered. "Please and thank you."  
  
"TICK TOCK, _____!" Papyrus called out to you, reminding you that you were, in fact, being timed on this.  
  
You once again began making your way through the tires, watching warily as the orb swooped at you. Halfway through, things were complicated as a second orb joined the fray. With two to watch out for combined with your already awkward footing, you got hit and knocked over a few times. Thankfully, it didn't hurt much, but it was still unpleasant. Thankfully, the orbs gave up chasing you as soon as you got past the tires. Your heart was pounding, and you'd only cleared the first obstacle. After taking a moment to breathe, you moved onto the second obstacle.  
  
Next, you encountered the rope swing. The pit was wide and had several ropes for you to choose from. It seemed simple enough, but just as with the tires, this turned out to be more complicated as well. As soon as you approached, a wall of blue and orange flames shot up from the pit, blocking the way across. Next to the pit, a firey rope monster was bouncing around excitedly.  
  
"Hotter! Hotter! HOTTER!" He chattered gleefully.  
  
You turned to Papyrus. "You can't expect me to try and swing across this when it's filled with fire!" you complained.  
  
"OF COURSE YOU CAN! IT'S MAGIC FIRE!" Papyrus responded, strangely testily.  
  
"Are you saying magic fire won't burn me?" You asked incredulously.  
  
"YES! WELL... NO. SOME OF IT WILL."  
  
You continued to stare at Papyrus, your annoyance growing.  
  
"VERY WELL. I'LL GIVE YOU A HINT." Papyrus relented with a huff. "BLUE MAGIC LIKE THIS WON'T HURT YOU IF YOU AREN'T MOVING. SO ORANGE MAGIC...." He trailed off to let you figure out the rest.  
  
"Is the opposite? It won't hurt you so long as you are moving?" You questioned.  
  
Papyrus gave a sharp nod.  
  
"Lovely..." You turned back to the pit. Obviously, you'd be moving as you swung across, so that mean you needed to swing across where there was orange fire... You swallowed hard at the idea of swinging through fire, despite Papyrus' assurances.  
  
Still, you stepped back and moved so you could get a running start and grab a rope that would swing you through orange fire. You took a breath and ran forward. You grabbed the rope and swung yourself across, closing your eyes just before you hit the curtain of fire. You felt the heat of it as you passed through, but it did not burn you. You released the rope and nearly collapsed on the other side, panting from the brief adrenaline rush.  
  
_"Nothing like blatantly ignoring every survival instinct you have to give you a rush..."_  
  
Next were the hurdles. Now that you were close to them, you noticed that they were actually made up of bones.  
  
"Uh... Papyrus?" you questioned, somewhat warily after the first two obstacles.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH..." Papyrus chuckled deviously, which did nothing to calm your nerves.  
  
_"It's okay... it's alright. Look, he even made them shorter than the regular course's hurdles to accommodate your shorter height."_ You tried to reassure yourself.  
  
You broke into a run to give yourself enough speed to clear the hurdle. You came to a screeching halt, however, as the hurdle began to grow taller, unable to stop yourself from smacking into it and falling backwards on your ass.  
  
"Oof!" You looked up and saw that all the hurdles were now rising and lowering. You turned and glared at Papyrus. "What the hell?"  
  
"YOU NEED TO WORK ON YOUR TIMING. JUMP OVER THE HURDLES WHEN THEY'RE LOW. DON'T, AND... WELL, IT'LL BE A LOT HARDER." Papyrus lectured you.  
  
You growled, reminding yourself that he wasn't trying to be a jerk, it was probably just how he was used to training. You stepped back and watched the hurdle rise and fall a bit. Thankfully, they seemed to be doing so in a steady pattern, so that meant that all you needed to do was time it right, and... you took off running. The first hurdle was just reaching its lowest point as you jumped over it with ease. You pushed yourself to clear the next few without stopping, afraid there wouldn't be enough room to regain your momentum if you stopped mid-course. You managed to clear them all by an increasingly narrow margin until the last one, which you wound up flipping over head-first as it rose high enough to catch your feet mid-leap. You yelped as you face-planted into the mat.  
  
"_____?! ARE YOU AL-" Papyrus shouted in concern before cutting himself off and schooling his features into a more disapproving look. "ER, I MEAN, YOU SHOULD HAVE MOVED FASTER! THEN YOU WOULD HAVE MADE IT BEFORE IT STARTED RISING AGAIN AND YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TRIPPED!"  
  
You huffed as you caught your breath and gradually got to your feet. You were really beginning to lose your patience with him. You moved on to the next obstacle, which was the monkey bars. Simple enough. You used to play on the monkey bars all the time as a kid. You approached the monkey bars and eyed the hot coals underneath warily. That was certainly some encouragement not to fall. You glanced to the side and saw a small frog monster sitting there watching you passively.  
  
"And just what do YOU do?" you muttered. The frog just cocked its head at you and croaked. "I guess I'm about to find out, aren't I?" To your surprise, the frog nodded at that. "Great..."  
  
You stretched your arms a bit in preparation before grabbing onto the first rung and starting your way across. As soon as you did, the frog activated its magic and you were being dive-bombed by flies. It didn't hurt at all, but being attacked by flies all over was enough to almost make you want to let go and flee. Almost. The hot coals were still doing their job of encouraging you to hold on. While it was overall unpleasant, you finished this part of the course without any mishaps. You spotted Papyrus tapping his foot and looking bored near the end of the monkey bars. You said nothing to him, simply giving him a nasty look as you moved on.  
  
"Clean! Clean! Clean! Clean! Clean!" muttered a frantic little monster at the crawl obstacle. You recognized it as the monster that was washing the wrapping paper at the Christmas party. You looked at the obstacle and noticed a large, magical bar of soap bouncing around the muddy pit beneath the barbed wire.  
  
_"Trying to clean a mud pit... good luck with that."_ You quirked an eyebrow at that thought. _"Also, looks like I'm going to need a shower after this."_  
  
You sighed, dropped down below the wire, and began crawling your way through.  
  
"Ah!! What are you doing?! I haven't finished cleaning that!" the monster yelled at you.  
  
You were suddenly smacked by the magical bar of soap, which knocked you to the side, almost rolling you over, too, except for one little problem... the sleeve of the fatigue jacket you were wearing caught on the barbed wire.  
  
"Shit!" you cursed, and desperately reached up to free yourself. Once you'd done that, you continued slowly making your way across as the little monster screamed at you, regularly having to stop as you were knocked into the barbed wire again and again by the soap, causing your clothes and hair to catch. By the time you escaped the mud pit, you were absolutely filthy, and you stung all over from the little scratches caused by the barbed wire.  
  
The little monster looked at you, covered in mud and scratches. "S-so... filthy... t-too filthy..." Its eyes then rolled back and it fainted. The little bird that had been riding along in its water hopped out and began to prod the little monster in concern.  
  
You took a step toward it, worried, but then thought better of it. Given its apparent obsession with cleanliness, you doubted it would appreciate your efforts.  
  
"DO NOT WORRY. THAT HAPPENS REGULARLY..." Papyrus explained, then added, "TIME IS STILL TICKING, _____! BETTER GET MOVING!"  
  
Stone-faced, you turned and headed towards the next obstacle.  
  
Pendulums. Not unlike the ones in the puzzle gauntlet at the fair. There was a Vulkin standing next to it looking up at you cheerfully.  
  
"Ugh... I couldn't get through this one on my own at the fair. How am I suppose to get through it now with the addition of you hindering me?" You asked her, not really expecting an answer.  
  
"I no hinder! I help!" Vulkin chirped cheerfully.  
  
"You... You're going to help me?" You questioned her, not really believing it.  
  
"Yes! I use thunder! Helpful speed up!!" She explained, growing excited.  
  
"Uh... I don't think that's really-" Your protest was cut off.  
  
"Does my best! I show you!!" Vulkin summoned a smiley storm cloud above you, that immediately began raining down lightning bolts. You yelped as one shocked you, and darted away from the cloud into the pendulum gauntlet. The cloud followed. Every time you were about to be knocked off the platform by a pendulum, you were struck by another bolt of lightning and shot forward from the shock. Thankfully, the gauntlet wasn't terribly long, and with Vulkin's 'help' you got through rather quickly.  
  
"You through! See!! I help!! Yay!!!" Vulkin cheered excitedly as you panted and twitched from the aftershocks.  
  
"Y-yeah... thanks..." You bent over trying to steady yourself after that.  
  
"You tired? I help!! Healing magma!!" Vulkin volunteered, jumping up and down.  
  
"N-No! I'm fine! I'm good!" You jumped away and ran to the final obstacle.  
  
Finally. The end. All you had to do was get over this massive wall, and you were done. There were ropes dangling from the top to help you climb, but you weren't convinced that you'd be able to make it. You were EXHAUSTED, even after resting between obstacles. You sighed. The least you could do was try before giving up.  
  
"THAT WALL ISN'T GOING TO CLIMB ITSELF." Papyrus commented.  
  
"When did you become so snarky?" You snapped at him, but grabbed hold of the rope and began struggling your way up before he could answer.  
  
It was odd. You hadn't seen any monsters near this obstacle. Maybe Papyrus had decided that this one was hard enough after struggling through all the others? Still, it didn't follow the pattern, and a part of you was still expecting a monster to pop up and add an unwelcome twist to this. Your arms became shaky and you slid on the rope a bit about halfway up. You had reached your limit. You glanced down to tell Papyrus so and stopped short.  
  
_"Is the floor MOVING?"_ You stared, unable to believe what your eyes were telling you.  
  
The floor, or what you had thought was the floor, shifted and lurched. A shape seemed to rise up out of it, seeming to melt as it formed. Multiple limbs began to form under it, and finally it turned around towards you. You grasped the rope tightly in terror as, where its face SHOULD be, was a gaping black hole that immediately began to ooze as it spotted you. You felt paralyzed with fear as it seemed to watch you intently. It began to vibrate intensely, then lunged towards you.  
  
"AAH!" You screamed as the monster missed you and hit the wall, its body splaying out like a soft putty and sliding back down to the ground where it began to reform. You didn't wait to see that happen, as you began desperately pulling yourself higher.  
  
The monster began emitting this weird, echoing, bark-like sound, and leaped up towards you. You heard claws scratching at the wall as it scrabbled for purchase below you. You were close to the top of the wall now. You glanced down and paled as you saw it somehow clinging to the wall and getting close. Too close! You struggled to pull yourself to the top as its strange, dripping body engulfed one of your legs.  
  
"N-NO!" You cried, and pulled yourself free with a pop, which also caused you to vault over the top of the wall and down to the padded landing below. You gulped in a few panicked breaths before the lights dimmed and you were suddenly engulfed in the amorphous structure of the monster as it leapt down after you.  
  
You could barely breathe. Every inhale you took smelled strongly of dog. You struggled, and managed to free your head with a gasp.  
  
"NO! DOWN ENDOGENY! BAD DOGS!" You could hear Papyrus shout. "WE DO NOT SUFFOCATE OUR FRIENDS!"  
  
There was an echoing whine and the dripping monster slid off of you, its head sagging and its ears low. You scooted farther away from it, trying to rein in your terror.  
  
"Wha... What the hell is that?!" You snapped.  
  
"THAT IS ENDOGENY. THEY ARE RELATED TO ALL THE DOGS IN THE ROYAL GUARD. I'M NOT SURE HOW THEY'RE RELATED TO THE OTHERS, BUT THEY ARE DOGAMY AND DOGARESSA'S PARENTS." Papyrus explained, rubbing your back to try and soothe you.  
  
"They're.. They're all related? Wait... aren't Dogamy and Dogaressa married??" you were beginning to calm now that Endogeny was no longer chasing you. It was still letting out that creepy whine, though.  
  
"YES?"  
  
"So they married each other despite being siblings?" You were a little grossed out.  
  
"WELL, I DON'T THINK THEY WERE RELATED AT THE TIME."  
  
"Huh? So, what? One of each of their parents remarried each other after that?"  
  
"NO. THEY MELTED TOGETHER."  
  
"M-melted?" You looked back at Endogeny as parts of it dripped off before reforming back into its body. "Wait... Are you saying that Enodgeny is multiple monsters melted into one??"  
  
"YES. I DO NOT KNOW THE DETAILS, BUT THERE ARE A BUNCH OF MONSTERS THAT EVERYONE THOUGHT WERE DEAD. APPARENTLY THEY WERE WITH DOCTOR ALPHYS. SHE DID SOMETHING THAT STOPPED THEM FROM TURNING TO DUST, BUT THEY CAME BACK MELTED TOGETHER?" Papyrus seemed just as perplexed by his explanation as you did.  
  
"Alphys... Alphys did this??" You stared at Papyrus, stunned.  
  
"YES. I THINK IT WAS AN ACCIDENT? SHE WAS VERY WORRIED ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE WOULD THINK. IN THE END, EVERYONE WAS JUST HAPPY TO HAVE THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS BACK."  
  
You felt something weird touch your hand, and looked over to see that Endogeny had pushed its head under your hand. It reminded you a bit of Lesser and Greater Dog. Tentatively you patted it, and its tail began to wag, flicking bits of itself to either side which then began oozing back towards its own body. Its face orifice began to froth happily.  
  
Seeing that you were no longer terrified of Endogeny, Papyrus stood and cleared his throat to speak. "ANYWAY, ABOUT YOUR COURSE TIME..." He stared disapprovingly down at you. "YOUR TIME WAS TERRIBLE. IT WAS THE SLOWEST I'VE SEEN. EVEN FRISK WAS ABLE TO CLEAR THE COURSE FASTER." You were now glowering at Papyrus. "YOU SPENT A LOT OF TIME STOPPED WHEN YOU SHOULD HAVE KEPT MOVING."  
  
"Yeah, well, sorry I'm not the epitome of fitness that you are, and that I don't know the first thing about different types of monster magic." You replied sarcastically.  
  
Papyrus looked slightly bewildered for a moment before he hardened his gaze again. "I AM GOING TO SHOW YOU HOW IT'S DONE." He told you.  
  
"Would have been nice if you did that in the first place." You grumbled, still not happy about all the nasty surprises.  
  
Papyrus headed to the start of the obstacle course while you stepped out to the side of it to watch, with Endogeny happily following along. Papyrus readied himself, then, with a click of his stop watch, charged forward. He ran through the tires pretty quickly, easily ducking Madjick's orbs without even slowing down. He then jumped to the side without stopping his forward momentum and swung through the magic fire with ease. The bone hurdles weren't moving, but he'd set them to their maximum height, which he cleared easily, and he seemed unbothered by the flies from the frog monster as he whipped through the monkey bars. The crawl obstacle was the only thing that seemed to be slowing him down at all, but even though you'd had the benefit of being smaller than him, he still cleared much faster than you. The pendulums, as you suspected, were no problem for Papyrus and he jumped and rolled past them with ease. Finally, he reached the wall where he grabbed the rope, practically ran up the vertical incline, and then did a flip as he launched himself off the top and landed on his feet on the other side, posing like he was some sort of Olympic gold medalist. You might have been impressed if you weren't still mad at him.  
  
Papyrus walked back over to you. "SEE? THAT IS HOW IT'S DONE. WHILE I DO NOT EXPECT YOU TO BE ABLE TO MATCH MY OWN PROWESS, I DO NOT SEE HOW YOU COULD POSSIBLY DO ANY WORSE, SO GET BACK OVER THERE AND TRY IT AGAIN!" Papyrus commanded you, pointing to the start of the course.  
  
You stared at Papyrus, flabbergasted, for a moment before you responded. "Yeah, no. I'm DONE here." You turned on your heel and headed for the door.  
  
"WAIT! OUR DATE ISN'T OVER YET!" Papyrus sounded desperate and grabbed your arm to stop you.  
  
You whirled around and pulled your arm from his grip. "Yes, Papyrus, it is." You growled. "This 'date' has been a disaster. I mean, what is wrong with you? You choose to build an obstacle course when you know I'm not athletic like you are, and then, when I do my best to get through it anyway, you criticize and insult me and tell me to do it again? That's not like you!"  
  
Papyrus was looking at you like a kicked puppy, but you were too angry to let that work on you. "BUT... BUT I... I DID EVERYTHING THEY TOLD ME TO... HOW COULD THE DATE GO SO POORLY?"  
  
"Everything WHO told you to?" You questioned.  
  
"WELL, I GOT ADVICE FROM A COUPLE DIFFERENT SOURCES. I ASKED UNDYNE, AND SHE SUGGESTED WE DO SOMETHING ACTIVE, SOMETHING THAT I ENJOY, AND THAT I SHOW YOU JUST HOW GREAT I AM BY BRINGING MY A-GAME. THAT IS WHY I SET UP THE OBSTACLE COURSE." Papyrus started his explanation. "BUT I WAS STILL WORRIED, SO I DECIDED TO LOOK UP DATING ADVICE ON THE INTERNET."  
  
Your face scrunched up at that. _"That explains it. Let's see what wonderful 'helpful tips' Papyrus has been working with here..."_  
  
"BY FAR, THE GREATEST CONSENSUS WAS THAT WOMEN ARE NOT ATTRACTED TO NICE GUYS, BUT PREFER 'BAD BOYS.' I... DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHY... ANYWAY, I REALIZED THAT I MUST HAVE GOTTEN LUCKY WITH YOU AGREEING TO DATE ME, BUT I COULDN'T RISK THE POSSIBILITY THAT IT WAS JUST A FLUKE, SO I LOOKED UP ADVICE ON HOW TO BE MORE ATTRACTIVE TO WOMEN. THE INTERNET SAID THAT THE BEST WAY TO 'SCORE' WAS TO BE MORE DISTANT AND MEAN TO WOMEN, TO BE CONFIDENT AND COMMANDING. AGAIN, I'M NOT SURE WHY THAT WOULD WORK, BUT IT WAS VERY COMMON ADVICE, SO IT MUST BE TRUE!"  
  
You were busy face-palming at this point.  
  
"I... I DIDN'T LIKE BEING SO MEAN TO YOU, AND I DID START TO DOUBT THE ADVICE WHEN YOU DIDN'T SEEM TO BE HAVING FUN, BUT THEY EMPHASIZED THAT CONFIDENCE WAS A MUST, SO I PUSHED MYSELF TO DO IT ANYWAY... BUT... IT LOOKS LIKE I DIDN'T GET A VERY HIGH SCORE LIKE THE INTERNET SAID I WOULD. IN FACT, IT SEEMS TO BE SO LOW THAT MY DATING HUD APP ISN'T EVEN REGISTERING IT!" Papyrus looked a bit panicked at that idea.  
  
"That's not what they mean by- you know what? Never mind. That's not important." You cut yourself off from explaining what was meant by 'scoring.' "Look, Papyrus, the point is you got some VERY bad advice there."  
  
"I... I DID?"  
  
"Yes. I mean, the stuff from Undyne was alright, although by 'bringing your A-game' I think she meant you should be the best person you can be, not just the best athlete. Erm... Well, maybe she meant that. But that stuff you got from the internet was pretty bad. It's a myth that all women like 'bad boys' and that women don't like 'nice guys'. The problem is, bad boys like you got advice for are only successful because they prey on the targeted woman's insecurities. It's a psychological game that results in a bad relationship. And for women not liking nice guys... that's just plain not true. Women love nice guys. The problem is, there's a lot of guys who will pretend to be nice under the delusion that that entitles them to the woman they're being nice to. They treat women more like a commodity than actual people, and tend to get angry when they don't get what they feel they're entitled to. REAL nice guys treat women with kindness and respect without expecting anything in return. THOSE are the type of nice guys that women find attractive." You explained.  
  
Papyrus thought about what you'd just told him, looking distraught. "DOES... DOES THAT MEAN I'M ONE OF THOSE BAD NICE GUYS BECAUSE I WANTED YOU TO CONTINUE DATING ME...?"  
  
"Would you have stopped being nice to me if I didn't want to date you?"  
  
"W-WHAT? NO! OF COURSE NOT! YOU ARE A GREAT PERSON! IF YOU STOPPED WANTING TO DATE ME, I'D STILL WANT TO BE FRIENDS." Papyrus was baffled by the question.  
  
"Then, no, you're not one of those bad nice guys." you smiled at him. He seemed utterly relieved.  
  
"OH, THANK GOODNESS..."  
  
"You do, however, have a lot to learn about dating." You pointed out sternly. Papyrus flushed with embarrassment. "Guess I'll just have to plan the next date and show you how it's done." You smirked at him.  
  
"Y-YOU... STILL WANT TO DATE ME? EVEN AFTER THIS ONE ENDED UP GOING SO POORLY?"  
  
You chuckled. "All relationships have their ups and downs, Paps. I know you're a great guy, you just got some bad advice." You looked at him sympathetically. "Now, come on. Let's get cleaned up and get out of here." You grabbed Papyrus by the hand and headed back towards the locker rooms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Papyrus had to learn the hard way that you shouldn't believe everything you read on the internet. And poor Reader had to endure the brunt of all that bad advice. 
> 
> So, as of me writing this (Friday) I haven't responded to the comments from the past week like I usually have. Oops. However, I DID get a lot more writing done this week than I have the past few weeks, so there IS that.   
> [EDIT] Totally responded to some of the comments last night! Still a bunch more to go, but I've got an outing planned, so it'll have to wait. 
> 
> Also, by the time you guys read this I'll probably be off on an adventure with my friends playing Pokemon Go because I am a huge nerd and have huge nerd friends and that makes us inherently AWESOME. WEEEE. 
> 
> But for right now, looks like I've got a flood of comments to respond to, because they fill me with determination!


	36. Where Everybody Knows Your Name

You scrolled languidly through your facebook feed on your phone checking out the latest happenings. You paused at a post from your old coworker, Jess. She was always talking about the latest news and vehemently expressing her own thoughts on what was happening. You didn't always agree with her, and had quickly learned that she wasn't really open for discussing differing opinions, but her regular posts helped you keep up with the latest news.  
  
Today, though, her post, which usually stagnated at one or two agreeing replies, had a dozen responses. You began reading it, curiously.  
  
Jess: _OMG can you believe this? their trying to give human rights to animals! I mean just look at this article! this is so stupid!_  
  
There was a link to an article, the thumbnail featured a bunny, but...  
  
"Wait... That looks like a monster..."  
  
You clicked the link and began to read the article.  
  
_A new advertising campaign was unveiled today by the Monster Acceptance Coalition. The campaign, which features commercials, billboards, and internet ads aims to raise awareness about the plight of monsters with the general public._  
  
_Despite having lived among us for nearly two years, monsters still have very few rights and still lack citizenship status. While some basic rights, such as the ability to construct and own property, and to work in human establishments were established shortly after their emergence from Mount Ebott, very little progress has been made since then. Some politicians claim the issue lies with Asgore Dreemurr, the King of monsters, and his unwillingness to compromise. King Asgore and his human supporters claim otherwise:_  
  
_"Our opponents put on a show of trying to work through this issue, but that's all it is: a performance. The truth is that their purported 'compromises' have consistently featured convoluted language that amounts to many monsters being considered little more than animals, despite being sentient beings." explained Senator Robert Howes._  
  
_"All we ask for is a showing of basic human intelligence and capability." Senator Dick Fredericks countered. "We must draw the line somewhere, or we open ourselves up to any living thing gaining human rights. If we consider these frog monsters and, god forbid, mold monsters to have the same inalienable rights as humans, what's to stop someone from claiming all animals deserve those exact same rights? Much of the farm industry would suddenly be committing murders, and even our beloved family pets would essentially be slaves."_  
  
_King Asgore, who is spearheading the campaign for monster rights, had this to say: "Humans, while possessing some degree of diversity, are largely physically similar to one another. It is easy for one human to look at another and say 'this person is human'. Monsters, though, vary greatly in form. There are those who would judge a monster's personhood on this form without looking any deeper. That thinking, however, is flawed. Just as humans are grouped together by their shared physical natures, monsters, too, have a shared feature: that of their souls. One has only to look past our physical appearances to the souls that linger within each of us to see that we are one people. There are those, such as Mr. Fredericks, who would have me abandon some of my people, simply because he cannot see past our differences. However, as the King of monsters, it is my duty to see to the safety and happiness of ALL my people, from the largest Knight Knight, to the smallest Moldsmal, and I will not rest until we all gain the rights and acceptance that we, as people, deserve."_  
  
_While politicians have been butting heads over the issue, crimes committed against monsters have been on the rise. Local prosecutors have been hard-pressed to bring the culprits to justice, as, without citizenship or even basic rights, there is little they can charge the aggressors with short of property crimes._  
  
_"It was terrifying." Sylvia Rabbit told us as she held her young child, Kit. "Some masked man just broke into our home last October and tried to kill us. We were lucky to escape." The culprit, 38-year-old Steven Thorne, was arrested in November after police found his fingerprints in the vandalized home. He has been charged with breaking and entering, and destruction of private property, but prosecutors were unable to press attempted murder charges due to Sylvia being a monster._  
  
_"Unfortunately, until the matter of monster citizenship is settled, my hands are tied," Prosecutor Alyeese Sanchez lamented. "Hopefully they can come to an agreement soon, because, at this rate, things are only going to get worse."_  
  
You finished reading the article and immediately returned to Jess' post.  
  
Danny: _Jess, those aren't animals they're talking about. They're monsters._  
  
Jess: _Same thing_  
  
Danny: _Uh, no. It's really not._  
  
Stephanie: _It may as well be if they let those frog and mold monsters have rights, because you know that as soon as they do that, PETA's going to be jumping down the government's throat to grant all animals human rights. Then you can kiss your double bacon cheeseburgers goodbye!_  
  
Jess: _lol exactly_  
  
Danny: _Don't be ridiculous. We're talking about sentient beings here. There's a whole world of difference._  
  
Stephanie: _Oh? Have you talked to this "sentient" mold?_  
  
Danny: _No, but that's irrelevant. I don't need to have personally talked to one to know it's sentient._  
  
Stephanie: _If it's so obvious, why won't they agree to the intelligence tests to prove it?_  
  
Danny: _Because that's stupid and racist, that's why._  
  
Jess: _Nah. I'm pretty sure its because THEIR stupid lol_  
  
Danny: _Given your inability to grasp basic grammar, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't pass that intelligence test, either, Jess._  
  
Jess: _fuck off!_  
  
You felt sick with rage. How DARE she. Jess had always been hard-headed, but you'd never thought she was THAT bad. You didn't know who Stephanie was, although you assumed she was someone Jess knew. She was just as ignorant. You tapped out a reply.  
  
You: _I cannot express how much this "discussion" disgusts me. I've been living and working among monsters for nearly a year now, and I can tell you right now that they deserve our respect and protection just as much as any human does. All of them. I've seen firsthand how terrible and violently some people have acted towards them for no other reason than they're different. Hell, I've been attacked as well for daring to be friends with them! And, honestly, if you can't see past your own prejudices and exaggerated slippery-slope fears, than I see no reason to be friends with you._  
  
You sent the message, and then immediately unfriended Jess with a huff.  
  
"_____? IS SOMETHING WRONG?" Papyrus, who was seated on the couch next to you watching some Gilligan's Island reruns, asked.  
  
"Just found out that one of my old coworkers is a racist asshole." You grouched.  
  
Papyrus gave you a stern look and, with a sigh, you got up, walked to the table near the door, and deposited a quarter in the swear jar.  
  
_"Huh... Looks like we'll be able to buy dinner for all of us with this soon. Heh. Whoops."_ you idly noted.  
  
You returned to the couch and plopped back down before sidling over to Papyrus and cuddling up against him. Even after all this time, humans were still terrible. A part of you felt ashamed to be associated with people like Jess, but then your brain helpfully reminded you that you deserved that shame because you had been just as horrible to monsters, if not more-so, when you were Moira. You sighed at that thought, your righteous anger turning to depression.  
  
Papyrus watched your mood shift with concern. Your depressive moods had grown less common, but he knew that you still occasionally beat yourself up over the actions of your past life. It didn't matter how many times he told you that it wasn't your fault, that you weren't responsible for Moira's actions, and that her actions weren't as terrible as you believed, given the circumstances; some part of you just refused to believe it. He felt so helpless whenever this happened. Papyrus shifted and pulled you into his lap so that he could more easily wrap his arms around you. He began stroking his fingers through your hair, which always seemed to help calm you.  
  
You snuggled further into Papyrus' embrace and let out a small sigh. He was so caring and attentive. You didn't deserve someone like him in your life, and yet here he was. Your heart throbbed with how grateful you were for that. You just sat there, letting him soothe you with his gentle strokes through your hair, and the sounds of more of Gilligan's shenanigans from the TV.  
  
The world may be a dark and cruel place sometimes, and you yourself may have a lot to atone for, but in this moment, things felt a little bit brighter.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You followed Alphys up her walkway to the front door.  
  
"I still can't believe someone would have the gall to post that propaganda right outside work! I mean, MEET Co. is well known for being pro-monster rights!" You were exasperated.  
  
"A-at least it wasn't there for long..." Alphys replied a bit nervously.  
  
You couldn't blame her for being uneasy, given that it meant there'd been more anti-monster protestors outside your workplace at some point today. It made you uneasy, too. You, Alphys, and Mariana had gone out for lunch, and when you'd returned you'd found posters plastered all over the outside of the building. The posters had claimed the fact that monsters had been sealed underground in the first place was proof enough that our ancestors must have had good reasons for doing so. They then went on to point out the 'evils' of monsters and make wild speculations. Monsters were stealing jobs from humans; they were the latest thing to be encouraging children towards witchcraft and other devilish practices; they speculated that monsters, with their mysterious magical powers, were perfectly capable of committing theft, murder, and other heinous crimes while leaving no evidence behind; and what got you most, it claimed that monsters encouraged bestiality and other sexual deviancy by seducing naive humans into courting them, which also served to steal these potential wives and husbands away from wholesome, human, options.  
  
The three of you had been about to go inside and report the posters, but it turned out that had already been done, as several people and security officers exited the building at that moment to start tearing them down. Still, the incident had left everyone on-edge, and you and Mariana had vowed to wait for Alphys after work to ensure that she was safe getting to her car. The gesture had been moot, as there was an increased security presence in the parking lot, but she appreciated it all the same.  
  
"It doesn't matter how long it was there, there's no way whoever posted it didn't know that MEET Co. employs a lot of monsters. They were making a statement, and that statement was that they're not afraid to spew their hatred right on our doorsteps."  
  
There was an awkward silence as the two of you entered the house. Alphys couldn't really deny your logic, as it was obvious that MEET Co. would have been a poor target to try and drum up support, so the posters couldn't have been meant to convince the employees there of the merit of their statements.  
  
"S-still, Mr. Malintowski is aware of the posters and said he'll be h-hiring extra security staff to ensure our s-safety."  
  
You nodded in resigned acceptance. "I guess there's not much more we can do about it."  
  
"A-at least your magic is coming along well!" Alphys smiled nervously at you.  
  
"Yeah. I've become pretty good at the magic ball trick, and accessing and controlling my magic in general thanks to everyone's help." You smiled back at her.  
  
Alphys relaxed noticeably as you allowed the subject change. "We shouldn't keep Undyne waiting. She should be in the training room with Papyrus."  
  
You nodded and the both of you headed to the training room. Undyne and Papyrus were in the middle of sparring when you entered, and you watched with awe as the two of them fought. It never ceased to amaze you just how strong these two were. They were both powerful and agile, striking swiftly and dodging even quicker. You didn't notice the sly glance Alphys gave you as you watched the two, transfixed.  
  
Papyrus swung a magically conjured bone like a club at Undyne, which she dodged. Papyrus turned to follow her movement, and paused briefly as his eyes caught yours. That tiny moment of distraction was all Undyne needed to strike with powerful punch to Papyrus' armored chest, staggering him, followed by a low sweep of her leg to knock him onto his back. Papyrus immediately pushed to get back up, but found a spear at his neck.  
  
"Hah... hah... Looks like I win, punk!" Undyne panted, grinning victoriously.  
  
"LOOKS LIKE YOU DID... HEH... HEH..." Papyrus responded with a smile, panting just as much.  
  
Undyne extended her hand and easily helped pull Papyrus to his feet. She then turned to you and Alphys, having slowed her breathing back towards normal. "Perfect timing, nerd! I hope you're ready for your next magic lesson!"  
  
"Ready when you are." You smiled at her.  
  
"Good, because today you start learning how to use your shielding magic!" Undyne announced.  
  
"WOWIE! THAT'S EXCITING! I BET YOU'LL BE GREAT AT IT, _____!" Papyrus grinned at you.  
  
"yea. it shouldn't be as much of a **barrier** as learning to access or even control your magic was." Sans winked from where he was lazing on one of the exercise machines. You had stopped questioning when and how Sans managed to arrive without you noticing.  
  
"Shielding magic is a bit of a specialty of mine, given its ties to green magic." Undyne explained.  
  
_"That makes sense, given the shield that formed in front of me when she turned my soul green."_  
  
Alphys spoke up next, "The properties of most magic is shaped by the intent put into it. Obviously, different types of magic lend themselves better to different things. Shields are defensive, spears are offensive, etc. They CAN be used to their opposite purpose with the right intent, but that tends to require a more advanced control of the magic."  
  
Undyne refocused the conversation. "But we're getting off track here. Shields are mainly used for protection. Period. So that's what we're going to focus on."  
  
"Okay. I think I get it."  
  
"Now, you know how to pull your magic from you and shape it already, so do that, but instead of making it malleable, focus on it being defensive. Remember, its purpose is to prevent anything from getting through." Undyne instructed.  
  
You nodded and focused on your magic. It was coming much easier to you now, and you were easily able to separate the magic from yourself and form a shield-like disk in front of you. You focused on making it defensive.  
  
Undyne watched the magic form and, after giving you a moment, reached out and poked the magic shield. Her hand went through it easily, as if it were made of jello.  
  
Undyne stared at you, unimpressed, and you sputtered a bit in embarrassment, trying to focus on making it more solid.  
  
"Nope. Wrong." Undyne interrupted your concentration. "Don't try and turn it into a shield after you've formed the shape. Not only is that an inefficient use of your magic, but it's harder and takes longer, too. If you do it like that, you'll be dead before it can block even the weakest of attacks. You need to form it with the intent of being a shield. The final shape right now is unimportant. The point of this exercise is to create something that can block attacks, and to do so quickly. Now, try again."  
  
You took a deep breath, and tried again. You magic formed into some awkward shape, vaguely flat, but varying wildly in thickness throughout it. Undyne once again poked at the magic, and although her hand once again broke through it, it offered more resistance this time, more akin to a piece of paper, before it shattered.  
  
"THAT WAS BETTER!" Papyrus encouraged you.  
  
"Hmph. Barely." Undyne reluctantly acknowledged.  
  
"don't just think about it being defensive, feel it. imagine that you're actually using it to block a deadly attack." Sans offered.  
  
"... And if imagining it doesn't work, I could always offer up the real thing..." Undyne added.  
  
"U-Undyne!" Alphys sputtered.  
  
"I HOPE THAT IS NOT NECESSARY..." Papyrus said warily.  
  
"You and me, both..." You mumbled.  
  
You thought of your battle with Undyne. The fear of the spears flying at you, and your need to defend yourself when she'd locked you in place with her green magic. With that focus, you pulled your magic away from yourself and made another malformed shield. Undyne poked it, and it didn't budge. She knocked on it, and it remained solid. She then gave it a moderate punch... and it shattered.  
  
"Now, THAT was better!" Undyne seemed pleased.  
  
"I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!" Papyrus hugged you.  
  
"That was a great attempt!" Alphys smiled at you.  
  
"you **shattered** my expectations with that one." Sans smiled lazily.  
  
It was hard not to be encouraged by their support.  
  
"Alright, you know the drill! Try it again!" Undyne commanded, and you fell into your usual practice routine.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Hours later, and you were spent. Once you'd been able to consistently make a shield that was able to withstand a moderate punch from Undyne, she'd told you to work on creating a shield of that strength more quickly. After all, the shield was worthless if you couldn't get it up in time. This had lead to an exercise where Undyne would launch weak electric spears at you at random intervals, and you would try to block them. If you were too slow, the spear would get past and shock you like a bit of static electricity. If you were quick enough, but did not make the shield strong enough, the spear would shatter it before shocking you. It mostly lead to an afternoon of you getting mild electric shocks, but you did manage to start blocking a few before you began to tire.  
  
Sans had found the staticy, frizzy mess that was your hair afterwards to be hilarious, and hadn't been able to resist a slew of hair and static-related jokes and puns.  
  
"you did **shockingly** well today. soon you'll be able to handle yourself in even the **hairiest** situations." Sans was grinning widely.  
  
"FOR THE LOVE OF ASGORE, WILL YOU PLEASE STOP ALREADY?!" Papyrus was nearing the end of his rope.  
  
Sans chuckled, but relented.  
  
"You did good today, nerd. I expect you to keep on practicing throughout the week, and when we meet again next weekend, I want to see you blocking every spear!"  
  
You mock-saluted. "Yes, Captain Undyne, sir!" And received a laugh and not-so-gentle punch to the arm for your troubles.  
  
"That's the spirit!" Undyne grinned widely at you.  
  
"I'LL MAKE SURE SHE PRACTICES EVERY SINGLE DAY!" Papyrus declared.  
  
"As usual." You chuckled, shaking your head. As if any of you would expect anything less from him. You then opened up the front door to head home.  
  
"I'll see you at work tomorrow." Alphys smiled at you as you, Papyrus, and Sans stepped out the door.  
  
"See you tomorrow, Alphys! Bye Undyne!"  
  
"FAREWELL!"  
  
"later." Sans waved casually before climbing into the passenger side of Papyrus' car.  
  
You hopped into your own, pulled out of the driveway, and then followed the brothers home.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The week seemed to slog by at a snail's pace, and you couldn't decide if all the talk about the monster rights ad campaign made things better or worse. The campaign definitely seemed to be working, as everywhere you looked were discussions about monster rights and what to do about them. At work, on the news, and all over the internet people were debating the subject. You, obviously, didn't see what there was to debate. Monsters were people. People deserved rights. End of story. Your sister, Cheryl, had even called you this week to ask how you were doing, and told you about how she'd gotten into a vehement discussion at work with her coworkers about how monsters deserved rights. She'd also revealed that she'd seen in the paper that a bunch of monster businesses and homes had been vandalized since the start of the campaign, and asked you to be careful and stay safe. You had assured her that you would.  
  
Your magic, at least, was coming along nicely. With only a week of training, you were already getting the hang of quickly forming a shield, even if it was still weird and misshapen. You'd found that throwing up your hand as if you were trying to block the projectile (a pillow, when you were training with Papyrus) helped you form the shield quicker as you drew the magic off your palm. You were starting to become more confident, and that, in turn, seemed to help bolster the shield. You and Papyrus had nearly broken the TV when he'd tested the strength of your shield by punching it, only for him to be thrown backwards with just as much force as the shield cracked, but managed to rebuff the attack.  
  
"Papyrus?! Are you alright?!" You rushed to steady the TV where it teetered dangerously, threatening to fall on the prone skeleton.  
  
"W-WOWIE!" Papyrus gasped, still a bit surprised by the backlash. With the TV once again secure, you helped him back to his feet. "THAT WAS VERY GOOD! UNDYNE'S SURE TO BE IMPRESSED!" Papyrus declared excitedly.  
  
"I'm just glad you're not hurt..."  
  
"AND MISS THE DATE YOU HAVE PLANNED FOR US TODAY? NEVER! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WOULD SHOW UP IN A FULL BODY CAST IF NEED BE!" Papyrus declared.  
  
You smiled at him, a pleased blush staining your cheeks. "Well, I appreciate the gesture, but I'd prefer it if it never came to that." You stood on your toes and, understanding what you wanted, Papyrus leaned down a bit so you could plant a kiss on his cheek bone. He, too, blushed happily. "Now, have we done enough training for today? I'd like to have some time to get ready."  
  
"WELL, IT IS A LITTLE EARLY, BUT YOU'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS. I'M SURE IT WOULDN'T HURT TO END YOUR TRAINING A FEW MINUTES EARLY. BUT ONLY FOR TODAY!" He emphasized.  
  
You chuckled. "Of course. I'm going to go shower and start getting ready."  
  
"VERY WELL. SHOULD I MAKE US SOME LUNCH BEFORE WE HEAD OUT, OR WOULD THAT INTERFERE WITH YOUR SECRET DATE PLANS?"  
  
"That should be fine. I could really go for a grilled cheese right now."  
  
"I WILL HAVE THE FINEST CULMINATION OF CHEESE AND BREAD YOU HAVE EVER LAID YOUR EYES ON WAITING FOR YOU BY THE TIME YOU ARE DONE!" Papyrus declared.  
  
"Haha! I look forward to it!"  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Papyrus looked out the window of your car curiously as you pulled in to a place called Radiant Park Amusement Center in the nearby city of Lumen. You got out of the car, and locked it after Papyrus followed suit.  
  
"WHAT IS THIS PLACE?" he asked curiously.  
  
"You'll see." You smiled at him and, taking his hand, lead the way inside.  
  
As soon as the two of you stepped through the door, Papyrus' eye sockets widened comically. The building was massive, and there were games and activities everywhere. There was an arcade, ball pit, rock wall, climbing area, foam jousting pit, bounce house, and more.  
  
You lead him over to the counter by the entrance as he looked around excitedly. "Two adult passes, please."  
  
The attendant was staring, wide-eyed at Papyrus, but snapped to attention when you spoke. "O-of course. That'll be $22.50, ma'am." He handed you the two wristbands that showed that you'd paid, and you and Papyrus quickly put them on.  
  
"WOWIE..." Papyrus was looking around at the nearest activities. There were some air hockey and foosball tables, skee-ball, and arcade games nearest the front.  
  
"So, what would you like to do first?" You smiled at him in amusement as his head continued to whip around, taking in the flashing lights, sounds of games and music, and the cheering and laughter of the other patrons.  
  
"I DON'T KNOW. THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS HERE!"  
  
"Well, here, why don't we start with this?" You gestured to an open Dance Dance Revolution machine. After getting some change from a nearby change machine, you inserted a few quarters and started up the game. "Just step on the arrows as they line up at the top." You explained.  
  
Papyrus was pretty bad at it at first, but after taking a few moments to watch you (and a massive hit to his score for not doing anything) he seemed to better understand how the game worked. The second round, he nailed it. After that, you had to increase the difficulty on his side, and soon he was at the maximum. A small crowd of people had formed to watch by the end of the 6th song.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus laughed triumphantly as he got nearly perfect on the latest song.  
  
"That was amazing, man! How long have you been playing?" a nearby man, who appeared to be in his 20s or 30s, asked Papyrus.  
  
"THANK YOU, HUMAN! I'VE BEEN PLAYING FOR..." Papyrus thought about this for a moment, "ABOUT 20 MINUTES OR SO?"  
  
The man laughed. "No, no! Not just today! I mean in general?"  
  
Papyrus looked at him curiously. ".... ABOUT 20 MINUTES?"  
  
"Wait... are you telling me you've never played DDR before, and you're THAT good?" The man asked, surprised.  
  
You chuckled. "Yep! You should have seen him on our first round. He was TERRIBLE." You teased Papyrus.  
  
"WELL, I DID NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND HOW TO PLAY. AFTER LEARNING THE RULES, THOUGH, IT IS NO SURPRISE THAT I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WOULD MASTER THIS GAME!" He puffed up proudly, then turned back to the man. "YOU SEEM TO ENJOY THIS GAME VERY MUCH. I'M SURE YOU, TOO, ARE QUITE AMAZING AT IT!"  
  
"Haha... I do alright, but I'm not nearly as good as you are, bro." The man chuckled sheepishly.  
  
"THERE IS NO NEED TO BE SO HUMBLE, HUMAN! WITH THE RIGHT DRIVE AND DEDICATION, I'M SURE YOU COULD MASTER THIS GAME IN NO TIME!"  
  
The man seemed to glow at the compliment and unwavering confidence of Papyrus. "You know what? Maybe I could!"  
  
"THAT'S THE SPIRIT, HUMAN!"  
  
"If you want to play, we can step off. Honestly, I could use a drink right now."  
  
"Thanks! I'll see you guys around?"  
  
"OF COURSE! OUR DATE HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN!"  
  
The man's eyes widened at that. "Date??"  
  
"Come on, Paps. It looks like the food court is over this way." You took hold of his hand and lead him away from the crowd that watched with a mixture of curiosity and disgust.  
  
After you'd quenched your thirst, the two of you headed over to the foam jousting pit. There were already several people waiting to try their hand at dethroning the current 'champion.' The heavily muscled man was straddling the padded log over the ball pit and whaling on his current opponent, who was too busy trying to defend himself to be able to strike back. He didn't last long before he lost his balance and fell into the pit.  
  
"Another one bites the dust!" The champion crowed. "Come on! Can't any of you losers put up a decent fight?!"  
  
"Ow... fuck. Take it easy, man. You're taking this way too seriously." Complained the man from the ball pit as he waded his way out, removing the padded helmet and handing his foam jousting lance to the attendant.  
  
"Hah! Please. It's not my fault you're a joke!" The champion taunted.  
  
"WHY IS HE BEING SO MEAN?" Papyrus asked you.  
  
"Some people are just jerks." You huffed.  
  
Papyrus turned to the champion. "YOU SHOULD APOLOGIZE. YOU'RE NOT SHOWING VERY GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP."  
  
The champion sneered at Papyrus. "Oh yeah? Why don't you come over here and make me, freak?"  
  
"Ugh. Come on, Paps. This guy isn't worth our time." You tried to pull Papyrus away.  
  
"WILL YOU APOLOGIZE TO THE OTHER HUMAN IF I WIN?" Papyrus resisted your tugging.  
  
The champion howled in laughter. "Sure! If you think you've got the strength to beat me!" He flexed one of his arms, clearly not thinking a skeleton could match him in a show of strength.  
  
"VERY WELL. I ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE, HUMAN! ER..." Papyrus turned to you, realizing he'd ignored your attempt to pull him away. "...IF THAT'S ALRIGHT WITH YOU?"  
  
Papyrus' question earned another bout of laughter from the champion. "Kick his ass, Paps." You smirked at him.  
  
Papyrus ignored the foul language, and accepted your show of support for what it was. He walked up to the attendant, who helped him secure the foam helmet over his skull and handed him a lance. "SO, WHAT ARE THE RULES FOR THIS SPORT?"  
  
"You both straddle the log in the middle, and on my signal, you begin swinging. Whoever remains on the log longest, wins." The attendant explained, shrugging.  
  
"THAT SEEMS SIMPLE ENOUGH." Papyrus nodded and scooted his way towards the center of the log, facing the champion.  
  
"Are you both ready?" Asked the attendant.  
  
"I AM READY."  
  
"Yeah. And I hope my next opponent is, too, because this'll be over in a matter of moments!" declared the champion.  
  
"On your marks... get set... joust!"  
  
The champion was already mid-swing before the joust had even officially begun. Papyrus, not expecting him to jump the gun like that, barely managed to duck under the swing.  
  
"THAT WAS NOT FAIR, HUMAN! HE HAD NOT STARTED THE MATCH, YET!" He ducked another swing at his head.  
  
"Welcome to the real world, freak!" The champion mocked Papyrus, and took another swing, this time at his body.  
  
Papyrus brought up his lance and blocked the blow, to the champion's surprise. "YOU ARE NOT A VERY NICE PERSON." Papyrus was now giving the champion a stern look.  
  
The champion merely sneered back and began to pick up his assault. However, it wasn't terribly effective, as Papyrus effortlessly brought his lance up to block each time, shifting his weight to counter each blow and maintain his balance. The champion quickly started to grow frustrated.  
  
"Mother fucker..."  
  
"LANGUAGE, HUMAN. THERE ARE CHILDREN IN THIS ESTABLISHMENT."  
  
That seemed to piss off the champion even more, and he wound back for a strong blow. When it came, Papyrus parried the hit, knocking the champion off balance, and then followed up with his first strike against his opponent, knocking him into the ball pit below.  
  
"We have a new champion!" declared the attendant, and there was a series of cheers and whoops from the small crowd.  
  
The prior champion made his way out of the ball pit, a string of curses leaving his lips. Papyrus, too, made his way off the log.  
  
"SINCE I WON, I DO BELIEVE YOU OWE THIS HUMAN AN APOLOGY!" Papyrus gestured to the previous challenger.  
  
"Fuck off! You cheated!" growled the prior champion.  
  
"CHEATED? I WOULD NEVER DO SUCH A THING, HUMAN." Papyrus was taken aback.  
  
"I know you used some sort of fucking magic, freak! That's the only way you could have won!" he snarled at Papyrus.  
  
"Papyrus didn't need magic to beat you. You're just a jerk and a sore loser." You glared at the man.  
  
"AND, AGAIN, PLEASE WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE."  
  
You were startled when, after locking eyes, the burly man pulled back his fist and took a swing at you. You felt your magic leap from your soul in preparation of shielding yourself, but stopped when his fist only made it halfway to you before being halted by Papyrus' grip around his wrist. You'd never seen Papyrus angry, before, and while you weren't sure you could call the look on his face truly angry, it was stern and hard and utterly serious.  
  
"..." Papyrus was dead silent as the man fruitlessly tried to free himself from his grasp.  
  
"Let go of me, you goddamn freak!" the prior champion shouted.  
  
"Apologize." Papyrus' voice had taken on a quiet, serious tone.  
  
The man looked determined to fight Papyrus tooth and nail, but hesitated when he noticed the crowd rallying angrily around him. He hesitated, then, realizing he was badly outnumbered. His face twisted in disgust before he spat out, "I'm sorry," clearly not meaning it.  
  
Papyrus, however, released his hold on the man, who stumbled backwards away from him. By this point, the security officers the attendant had called arrived and escorted the man off the property as the small crowd of onlookers jeered after him.  
  
Papyrus turned to you. "ARE YOU ALRIGHT? I DID NOT THINK HE WOULD TRY TO HIT YOU, I-"  
  
"I'm fine, Paps, thanks to you." you smiled reassuringly at Papyrus.  
  
You were approached by several employees. "Excuse me, my name is Kate, I'm one of the managers here at Radiant Park. My employee told me about your altercation with the man who was just escorted out, and I wanted to offer my sincerest apologies. Were you hurt? I can call the police if you'd like to press charges." She was looking at you with concern.  
  
"No, I'm fine. He didn't get a chance to touch me thanks to Papyrus." You gestured to him. "And you have nothing to apologize for. It's certainly not your fault that guy was a violent, racist ass."  
  
She seemed relieved that you were alright. "Still, it is my job to ensure that all our patrons have a safe and enjoyable time here, and I'd like to offer you compensation to make up for your experience. Some of our activities, such as the rock wall and the go karts out back normally have additional fees to help offset the maintenance costs, but if you present these passes to the attendants, you can enjoy any of those activities for free today. Also, here are some special tokens that will allow you to enjoy our arcade, as well."  
  
"WOWIE! THAT IS INCREDIBLY GENEROUS OF YOU!"  
  
"Wow! Thanks!" You accepted the passes and bag of tokens.  
  
"Think nothing of it. As I said, it's my job to make sure everyone here has a good time. So, please, go ahead and enjoy the rest of your visit." She smiled at the two of you and then walked away.  
  
You were then addressed by the previous challenger. "Thanks a lot for beating that guy. He really needed to be knocked down a few pegs."  
  
"PEGS??" Papyrus didn't understand the expression, but quickly moved on. "I AM SORRY THAT I DID NOT GET HIM TO APOLOGIZE TO YOU."  
  
"No worries. I didn't really expect him to do it, anyway. I'm just glad you caught him before he could hit your friend." He nodded to you.  
  
"Actually, I'm his girlfriend." You clarified.  
  
The man gawked owlishly at you and you cringed internally. Outwardly, though, you stared firm and resolute at the man, challenging him to say something.  
  
_"So, I guess all these judging looks are going to be a thing, now."_ you noted bitterly.  
  
The man recovered, and blushed in slight embarrassment when he realized he'd been staring. "Well, uh, I guess it's a REALLY good thing you stopped him, then, eh? I know I'd flip out if someone hit MY girlfriend." He offered a sheepish smile.  
  
You relaxed as it became apparent that he hadn't meant to seem so judgmental. You offered him a small smile to let him know there was no harm, no foul.  
  
"Anyway, I wanted to thank you for getting rid of that guy. Here, why don't you take my game tickets? You can redeem them for stuff over at the prize counter." He tried to hand you a small stack of game tickets.  
  
"YOU DON'T NEED TO DO THAT, HUMAN!"  
  
"I insist! Besides, there's nothing over there I really want, so maybe you'll get more use out of them?"  
  
"Well, if you insist..." You accepted the tickets.  
  
"THANK YOU! YOU ARE VERY KIND, HUMAN!"  
  
"No problem." The man grinned in return.  
  
"Thanks, again." You thanked the man, then turned back to Papyrus, "Come on, Paps. There's still a lot of things to check out!" You smiled up at him and, tugged him off to the next attraction.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The rest of the day went much smoother for the most part. While the two of you received a lot of stares, most were content to curiously gawk at Papyrus, having never seen a skeleton monster before, then go about their business. Those that did give you dirty looks did not attempt to do anything else, and at Papyrus' prompting, you ignored them.  
  
Overall, the two of you had a lot of fun. You raced the go karts, climbed the rock wall, played laser tag (accidentally freaking out a patron in the process when she came face-to-face with Papyrus in the dark, although she apologized for her reaction), and racking up tickets in the arcade. Of course, all the best prizes required absurd amounts of tickets, but the two of you did manage to score a small plush cat that looked kind of like Cleo.  
  
Eventually, the two of you returned to Ebott City, and you pulled in to the parking lot of a familiar little Italian restaurant.  
  
"WE'RE GOING TO MARCO'S FOR DINNER?" Papyrus grinned at you excitedly.  
  
"Well, I did consider taking you to some fancier restaurant while we were in Lumen, but it occurred to me that being fancy doesn't necessarily make it better. Marco's will always be special. After all, it's where I first met you." you smiled lovingly at Papyrus.  
  
Papryus' eyes were lit up with unshed tears at that declaration. He leaned across the center console and pressed his teeth to your lips, to which you happily responded.  
  
"YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. WE MAY HAVE HAD OUR FIRST ACCIDENTAL DATE AT THE MTT PALACE, BUT MARCO'S WILL ALWAYS BE SPECIAL FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE."  
  
You smiled at him. "Come on, let's go inside."  
  
This time, it was Papyrus who was leading you by the hand, and the two of you entered the restaurant.  
  
"Hey hey! Look who it is!" The hostess, Cassy, grinned as she saw you two enter.  
  
"Heya, Cassy. You got that table I requested set up?" You asked.  
  
"Of course. Right this way." She grabbed the menus out of habit, and lead the way. Most of the tables were set up the same, however, she brought the two of you over to one that had obviously been set with far more care. It was a table for two set slightly apart from the other tables. It had what appeared to be a brand new table cloth, a vase of fresh roses, and a candle, which Cassy promptly lit.  
  
"What's all this? I just asked that you hold a table for us!" You were a little astonished.  
  
"YOU DID NOT REQUEST THIS?"  
  
"No, actually. I just expected a normal table."  
  
"When I told Marco that you'd called to reserve a table for your date, he rushed out immediately so he could make the setting special for you." Cassy grinned in amusement.  
  
"He didn't need to go to all the trouble!" you told her.  
  
"Ah, but it was no trouble at all! You two are my favorite customers, after all." You and Papyrus turned to see Marco as he approached.  
  
"MARCO!" Papyrus crowed and pulled the slightly portly man into a hug.  
  
"Haha! Long time no see, Papyrus. I haven't seen you since before Christmas!" Marco returned the hug.  
  
"WE HAVE BEEN IN, BUT IT ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE ON YOUR DAY OFF."  
  
"How was your holiday, Marco?" You asked.  
  
"Very busy. Very busy. But busy is good! Keeps me on my toes!" he grinned broadly at you. "So, I'm told you two are finally a couple, hm?"  
  
You blushed a bit. "Well, um, yes."  
  
"About time! I've been waiting for that good news for months!" he chuckled. "Ah, but where are my manners? You two must be starving! Have a seat! Have a seat! I'll go grab Jeremy and send him right over."  
  
"THANK YOU, MARCO!"  
  
The two of you took your seats as Marco and Cassy headed back to work. Neither of you bothered to look at the menus. You'd been here together enough times that you both knew it practically by heart.  
  
"IT WAS VERY KIND OF MARCO TO HELP MAKE OUR DATE SPECIAL."  
  
"Yeah. A part of me isn't that surprised, though. You know he's a romantic at heart. His daughter, Laura, once told me that he met his wife in a little family-owned restaurant like this one, and that even now, 30 years later, he's still surprising her with romantic gestures."  
  
Your waiter, Jeremy, arrived at that moment. "Hey, guys! What can I get you to drink? The usual?"  
  
You nodded.  
  
"YES, THANK YOU."  
  
"Alright. I'll be right back with those, then." He smiled brightly at you two, before heading back to the kitchen.  
  
"So, what did you think of Radiant Park?"  
  
"IT WAS AMAZING! THERE WERE SO MANY FUN THINGS TO DO! YOU TRULY ARE A WORTHY OPPONENT WHEN IT COMES TO DATING!" Papyrus was bouncing in his seat from excitement. "I CAN'T WAIT TO SHOW FRISK, AND UNDYNE, AND EVERYONE ELSE THAT PLACE!" He paused, looking a little concerned as a thought occurred to him. "WOULD... WOULD THAT BE ALRIGHT? I MEAN, IF YOU DO NOT WANT ME TO BRING THEM-"  
  
You let out a short bark of laughter. "Don't be ridiculous, Paps. Of course they can come with us next time. I'm sure that would make it even more fun!"  
  
Papyrus' excitement returned in full force. Jeremy returned with your drinks and set them on the table.  
  
"Here you go! Are you two ready to order?"  
  
"OF COURSE!"  
  
"Sure. I'll have the chicken fettuccine alfredo."  
  
"I'LL HAVE THE CHEESE RAVIOLIS AND A SIDE OF MEATBALLS TODAY."  
  
"Coming right up!" Jeremy excused himself once again.  
  
The two of you chatted, not only with each other, but with some of the other regulars, and with the various employees who came out to see you. It kind of warmed your heart that all the people here not only knew the two of you, but were always happy to see you. It was almost like your own real-life version of Cheers.  
  
You watched as Papyrus smiled broadly as he chatted animatedly with Maggie, a little old lady who also frequented Marco's. Papyrus looked over at you as he felt your hand intertwine with his own on the small table, and his smile grew soft and filled with affection. Your heart swelled at knowing, even if the rest of the world could be nasty and intolerant, you would always have Marco's. Even having just this one, tiny corner gave you hope that things would turn out alright in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoopsie doopsie! Guess who forgot what day of the week it was? Haha... I'm just sitting here at my computer at 11 o'clock at night and start thinking to myself "I should probably prepare the next update for tomorrow, so I can post it in the morning... Wait a second... I update on Saturdays after work... Today was Saturday. CRAP!" Well, TECHNICALLY I'm posting this before midnight (by a minute or two, anyway) so I still kept to my "update on Saturdays" schedule. ;P


	37. Your Love Increased

"Morning, Paps." You greeted, and Papyrus turned away from his cooking a bit and leaned down so you could plant a quick kiss on his cheek.  
  
Sans, as he usually did, feigned gagging at the sight. "uck... it's a good thing i haven't had breakfast yet, or i would have lost it just now."  
  
"YOU'RE SO IMMATURE, SANS!" Papyrus scolded without looking back, and thus missed you childishly sticking your tongue out at his brother.  
  
Sans just snorted in response, but gladly accepted the bottle of ketchup you handed him from the fridge as you poured yourself and Papyrus some orange juice. You heard the toaster pop, and retrieved the toast, putting in more after setting the dial down from 'blackened husk' which is how Papyrus preferred his toast. You continued to help Papyrus make breakfast as Sans contributed in the only way he knew how, by taking a nap at the table. It didn't take much longer to finish making the toast, bacon, and eggs.  
  
"YOU SHOULD EAT UP, _____! WE HAVE A BUSY DAY AHEAD OF US!" Papyrus informed you as he loaded his plate.  
  
"Oh?" You voiced, noncommittally.  
  
Papyrus seemed annoyed by your lack of enthusiasm. "YES! DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT DAY TODAY IS?"  
  
"Sunday?" You weren't entirely sure why he seemed to be making a big deal out of it.  
  
"NO! ... WELL, YES... BUT IT IS MORE THAN JUST SUNDAY!"  
  
You stopped eating to consider this. What could he possibly be getting at? I mean, you trained with Undyne every Sunday, but that wasn't anything new... Wait... You weren't training with Undyne today because she and Alphys had plans... Plans because...  
  
"It's Valentine's Day!" your eyes widened.  
  
"sheesh. i was beginning to think you'd forgotten. that would have been **heartless.** " Sans grinned.  
  
"Ugh. Give me a break. Of course I didn't forget. It's just been years since I've actually done anything for Valentine's Day."  
  
"YEARS? THAT'S TERRIBLE! I'LL HAVE TO MAKE SURE TODAY IS EXTRA SPECIAL, THEN, TO MAKE UP FOR THAT!"  
  
You smiled at Papyrus next to you. "It's already extra special, Paps. I'm spending the day with you, after all."  
  
Papyrus blushed lightly at the compliment, and leaned down to place a light kiss on your lips.  
  
"ugh! i'm trying to eat, here!" Sans whined. Although he seemed to have no trouble eating despite his complaints.  
  
"STOP BEING SUCH A BABYBONES, BROTHER!" Papyrus clucked, waving a forkful of egg at him, which he then scrambled to clean up as it went all over the table. "NYEH..."  
  
"if you **love birds** are going to be like this all day, i think i'm going to **fly the coop.** i'll be at grillby's if you need me." Sans stood up, gave a casual wave, and headed out.  
  
"Of course he left us with all the dishes." You pointed out after he'd left.  
  
"SOMETIMES I WONDER IF HE PLANS HIS ESCAPE AHEAD OF TIME, OR MAKES IT UP AS HE GOES ALONG."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You absently watched your breath puff in front of you as you walked down the frigid street. It was relaxing. You kept one gloved hand in your pocket, while the other was engulfed in Papyrus' own. Papyrus lead you down street after street, deeper into Monstertown, until he turned and brought you into a well-kept park.  
  
"I don't think I've been here before." You noted, looking around. You could see open fields, patches of trees, ponds, and playground equipment. And this was just what you could see from the entrance.  
  
"THE KING SET ASIDE THE LAND TO MAKE THIS PARK FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. EVEN IN OUR NEW CITY HOMES, THE KING WANTED US TO REMEMBER THAT WE WERE NO LONGER CONFINED TO TIGHTLY PACKED BUILDINGS LIKE THERE WERE IN NEW HOME. HE WANTED A PLACE WHERE EVEN THOSE WHO CHOSE TO LIVE HERE COULD GO TO SEE THE SKY AND ENJOY THE BEAUTY OF NATURE, SOMETHING WE DIDN'T REALLY GET MUCH OF UNDERGROUND." he looked around at the frozen ponds and frosted-over foliage. "AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, IT KIND OF REMINDS ME OF SNOWDIN, ACTUALLY..."  
  
"Snowdin... That's where you and Sans are from. What was it like?"  
  
"IT WASN'T PACKED LIKE NEW HOME WAS. IN FACT, IT WAS A PRETTY SMALL COMMUNITY IN COMPARISON, PROBABLY BECAUSE IT WAS ALWAYS COLD. BUT IT WAS NICE. THE PEOPLE WERE FRIENDLY AND CLOSE-KNIT, ALTHOUGH THE TEENAGERS COULD BE LITTLE RABBLE-ROUSERS SOMETIMES... SANS, IN PARTICULAR, FIT IN PRETTY WELL, AS MOST OF THE MONSTERS THERE LOVED TO TELL JOKES TO PASS THE TIME."  
  
"Oh, boy! You must have hated that!" You chuckled, but immediately sobered as you glanced over and saw the somber look on Papyrus' face. "Papyrus?"  
  
Papyrus cracked a sad-looking smile. "NO, I DIDN'T HATE IT. IT WAS JUST ONE WAY EVERYONE TRIED TO DISTRACT THEMSELVES FROM THEIR BORING, DAY-TO-DAY LIVES, KNOWING THEY HAD NO PLACE ELSE TO GO..." he hesitated briefly, but then continued with a cautiously proud look, "I THINK MY BROTHER AND I HELPED A LOT WITH THAT. WHEN WE FIRST MOVED TO SNOWDIN, IT WAS... VERY QUIET... THE PEOPLE THERE HAD THEIR ROUTINES, AND RARELY VENTURED OUT. AFTER WE SETTLED IN, THOUGH, THINGS GREW MORE LIVELY. SANS WOULD JOKE WITH THE PATRONS OF GRILLBY'S WELL INTO THE NIGHT, THE CHILDREN WOULD WATCH ME TRAIN, I WOULD TALK WITH THE OTHER RESIDENTS ABOUT PROPER PUZZLE CONSTRUCTION, OR SOMETIMES THEY'D COME OUT TO WATCH WHENEVER SANS WOULD GET ME PARTICULARLY RILED UP... AS FRUSTRATING AS SANS COULD BE, I COULDN'T HELP BUT NOTICE THE SMILES AND LAUGHTER OF THE OTHER RESIDENTS AS THEY WATCHED."  
  
You gave Papyrus a soft smile. "Sounds like you two helped them out of a rut."  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH..." Papyrus smiled back.  
  
"So, you said you moved to Snowdin. You lived somewhere else before?"  
  
"YES! WE USED TO LIVE IN THE CAPITAL, NEW HOME. IT WAS... CRAMPED." Papyrus looked uncomfortable for a moment. "YOU CANNOT IMAGINE WHAT IT IS LIKE TO SHARE A BEDROOM WITH MY BROTHER."  
  
"Yeesh. With how neat you are, and how messy he is, I can't imagine THAT was an fun experience."  
  
Papyrus' face scrunched up. "I ONCE WOKE UP TO FIND ONE OF HIS DIRTY SOCKS TANGLED BETWEEN MY RADIUS AND ULNA. IT WAS NOT PLEASANT."  
  
You couldn't stop the snort of laughter that escaped you, and Papyrus soon joined in on your laughter.  
  
"AH! HERE WE ARE!"  
  
You paused from your casual stroll with Papyrus and took in your surroundings. In front of you was one of the ponds, completely frozen over from the cold. Atop the ice were numerous people, monsters and humans, skating. A few more were over at a nearby stand, renting ice skates.  
  
"Oh! Ice skating, huh? It's, er... been a while... Last time I went skating was in a rink. With walls. Which I mostly clung to, to keep from falling." you admitted, nervously.  
  
"DON'T WORRY! I WOULD NEVER LET YOU FALL! AND I CAN TEACH YOU HOW TO SKATE! IT'LL BE FUN!"  
  
You somewhat reluctantly agreed, and the two of you got in line at the shack to rent some ice skates.  
  
"Oh, hey Papyrus!" greeted the bear monster from the shack.  
  
"GREETINGS, ARCTOS! HOW ARE YOU TODAY?"  
  
"I'm doing pretty well. Business has been booming." he smiled. "So, who's your friend?" he nodded in your direction.  
  
"THIS IS MY GIRLFRIEND, _____. _____, THIS IS ARCTOS. HE'S ALSO FROM SNOWDIN."  
  
"Nice to meet you." You smiled politely.  
  
"Girlfriend?! Sans had mentioned something about you spending a lot of time with someone, but I never thought..." He seemed quite surprised by this, but quickly shook it off with a laugh. "Well, it's nice to meet you, _____!"  
  
"Never thought what?" you asked, fearfully suspicious that he was surprised you were human.  
  
"Hah. I thought Sans was just being paranoid and over-protective; reading signs where there weren't any. Never thought I'd see the day when Papyrus actually found himself a girlfriend." he grinned in amusement.  
  
"HEY! I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW I AM A VERY ATTRACTIVE AND POPULAR SKELETON!"  
  
Arctos chuckled. "I'm not doubting you on that. You're just usually focused on that training of yours, and can be more than a little oblivious."  
  
"NYEH??"  
  
Arctos held his hand up to his face to give you a not-so-quiet side whisper. "Several of the young ladies around Snowdin tried their hand at getting his attention, though he never seemed to notice."  
  
"WHAT?!" Papyrus seemed utterly baffled by this revelation, which caused Arctos to howl with laughter.  
  
You snickered in amusement, then decided to soothe Papyrus. "I guess that makes two of us, given that it took our friends' interference for us to actually start dating."  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH..." Papyrus chuckled, blushing slightly in embarrassment. "ANYWAY, WE'D LIKE TO RENT SOME SKATES, ARCTOS."  
  
"Of course, of course. We've even got a special couples rate going today!" Arctos fetched your skates, and Papyrus paid for the rental. "Have fun!"  
  
"THANK YOU! WE WILL!"  
  
You and Papyrus made your way over to one of the nearby benches and put on the skates. Papyrus easily stood up on his skates, and walked over to Arctos to have him store your boots in one of the cubbies of his stall. You, meanwhile, were having a bit of trouble balancing.  
  
"LET ME HELP YOU." Papyrus said as he returned, extending his hand, which you gladly latched on to. You were a bit afraid of causing him to lose his balance, but he seemed firm and steady no matter how you teetered.  
  
Papyrus slowly helped you over to the pond and stepped onto the ice. It was the moment of truth. You carefully placed one skate onto the ice, and yelped as it immediately began to slide away, nearly causing you to collapse into what would have undoubtedly been a very painful split. Papyrus, however, was ready, and wrapped his free arm underneath yours, catching you.  
  
"I TOLD YOU, I WOULDN'T LET YOU FALL." He smiled down at you as he held you steady against his chest.  
  
"Hah... hah... So you did." you responded as you tried to steady your breathing after that unwanted excitement.  
  
It took a few tries, but with Papyrus' help, you managed to get your feet under you without the skates trying to zip off in one direction or another. Papyrus then slowly began skating backwards, his arms holding your own to help keep you steady as he pulled you out onto the ice.  
  
"THAT'S IT! YOU'RE DOING FINE! NOW, TRY MOVING YOUR FEET A LITTLE!" Papyrus encouraged.  
  
You did as he asked, trying to imitate the movements of the other skaters. It wasn't exactly the most graceful of movements, especially given that Papyrus had to constantly work to keep you upright, but after a while, you did start to get the hang of it.  
  
"VERY GOOD! I THINK YOU'RE READY TO TRY IT ON YOUR OWN!" Papyrus released your arms.  
  
"What?!" you flailed and nearly fell, but managed to keep your balance. "Papyrus!" you whined, as you slowly slid forward, not of your own volition.  
  
"YOU CAN DO IT! JUST TRY MOVING YOUR FEET!" You continued to pout at him. "NYEH... IF YOU CAN MAKE IT OVER TO ME, I PROMISE I WON'T MAKE YOU PRACTICE SKATING BY YOURSELF ANYMORE."  
  
You were still pouting, but at least that gave you incentive to try to move. You slowly began shimmying your way forward. Skating was pretty hard work, especially if you spent most of your energy just trying to stay upright. Eventually though, you got close enough to grab hold of Papyrus's arm, and practically collapsed into his embrace, exhausted from the stress and exertion.  
  
"SEE! I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!"  
  
You crinkled your nose up at him. "Never. Again."  
  
"NYEH HEH..." Papyrus responded sheepishly.  
  
It was beginning to snow, but the two of you skated for a little while longer. Papyrus moved backwards while holding you as close to him as he could as he guided you around the ice.  
  
Eventually, you began to tire, and the two of you fetched your boots and returned the skates. The two of you settled on the bench to rest and quietly watch the snow slowly drift down from the sky.  
  
"You know, I've always liked the snow." You eventually broke the silence.  
  
"OH?"  
  
"Yeah... Well, not digging out afterwards, but watching it fall... There's just something so peaceful and calming about watching those pure white flakes slowly drift down from the sky."  
  
Papyrus turned his attention back to the snow. "I AGREE."  
  
The two of you watched the snow quietly fall for a little while longer before Papyrus noticed you shivering slightly. "ARE YOU COLD?"  
  
"Hah, a little bit. As lovely as this is, I guess we better get somewhere warmer, huh?"  
  
"I KNOW JUST THE PLACE." Papyrus nodded. With a final farewell to Arctos, Papyrus lead you out of the park.  
  
You passed several shops and diners along the way, and you began to frown. Several of the buildings featured half-cleaned graffiti or damaged windows. You knew assholes sometimes came to Monstertown to vandalize businesses, but you'd never seen it this bad before. The residents were always quick to repair the damage, so the only way there should be this much obvious vandalism right now is if it was all done fairly recently...  
  
You were pulled from your thoughts when you heard a growl. You looked up ahead of you and saw that the sound was coming from Lesser Dog, who seemed to be growling at... a piece of paper? As you and Papyrus approached, Lesser Dog crumpled up the paper and tossed it behind him, where Annoying Dog was standing and happily devoured the paper ball.  
  
"GREETINGS LESSER DOG!" Papyrus happily greeted Lesser Dog, "... AND ANNOYING DOG..." He scowled at the smaller dog, who seemed oblivious to the animosity. He returned his attention to LD. "WHAT WAS THAT PAPER YOU CRUMPLED UP?"  
  
Lesser Dog growled for a moment before his ears drooped and he whined.  
  
"THE PAPER WAS TELLING MEAN LIES ABOUT MONSTERS?" Papyrus seemed shocked and appalled.  
  
"More propaganda? Someone posted some on the outside of MEET Co the other week." You frowned.  
  
"WHAT?? YOU DIDN'T MENTION THAT BEFORE!" Papyrus looked at you with concern.  
  
"Sorry, I guess I just sort of forgot. The posters weren't up long, and Mr. Malintowski hired more security guards, so it hasn't happened since, and I was pretty distracted with learning magic and planning our date..."  
  
"NYEH... SO LONG AS YOU'RE ALRIGHT."  
  
"Tell me, LD, is all this vandalism recent?" You asked, motioning to a nearby window that was boarded up.  
  
LD whined sadly, but then straightened up and barked in determination.  
  
"LESSER DOG SAYS YES, IT'S RECENT. THE VANDALS HAVE BECOME MORE BOLD RECENTLY. HOWEVER, SOME OF OUR SCIENTISTS HAVE ADAPTED DOCTOR ALPHYS' SOUL TRACKER PROGRAM TO MONITOR THE LOCATIONS OF THE GUARDS ON DUTY AND IMPROVE THEIR PATROL ROUTES, WHILE ALSO ALLOWING THEM TO DIRECT THE NEAREST GUARD TO AID THE TOWNSFOLK WHEN A CALL COMES IN ABOUT THE VANDALS." Papyrus translated.  
  
You were briefly amazed that LD managed to convey all that in that brief bit of barking. "Well, I'm glad you guys seem to have things under control."  
  
Lesser Dog barked happily.  
  
"LESSER DOG SAYS, THANK YOU, AND HE'S PROUD TO BE ABLE TO HELP PROTECT THE CITIZENS. SPEAKING OF WHICH, HE NEEDS TO GET BACK TO HIS PATROL."  
  
"Alright. Bye, LD. It was nice seeing you again!"  
  
"FAREWELL, LESSER DOG! STAY VIGILANT!"  
  
Lesser Dog gave you two a brief wave before running off, with Annoying Dog trailing along after him.  
  
There was a strong gust of wind, reminding you of just how cold it was outside.  
  
"COME ON. WE'RE ALMOST THERE." Papyrus motioned, and the two of you continued down the street.  
  
Just one more block further, and Papyrus motioned towards a doorway, pulling the door open to let you inside. You eagerly made your way inside, as the cold was really starting to get to you.  
  
The first thing you noticed about the place was the warmth. It was probably normal temperature, but compared to outside it was broiling. You could feel your extremities tingling from the sudden shift in temperature. The second thing you noticed was the delicious smells wafting through the air. The place smelled absolutely heavenly, and your stomach began to growl in anticipation. Thirdly, you noticed the decor. Everything was decorated in purple, white, and pink. The round tables throughout the dining area featured web-like designs that spiraled out from the center, and the booth seats had cloths with web-like patterns draped over the backs. Finally, you noticed a set of teacups scooting along the floor on their own.  
  
"What the...??"  
  
You watched as the cups scooted over to the proprietress of the shop, who then picked them up in two of her six arms. "Thank you, dearies."  
  
Your eyes returned to where the teacups had been on the ground, and you blanched as you saw a small mass of spiders move along the floor behind the counter. You didn't have time to retreat or even say anything to Papyrus before the proprietress approached the two of you.  
  
"Welcome to my bakery! Ahuhuhu!" She used one of her hands to coyly cover her mouth as she laughed. "Please, have a seat! I will be with you in a moment!"  
  
"THANK YOU, MUFFET!" Papyrus grinned at her, and guided you over to a table near the window. Once you were seated, Papyrus finally noticed you glancing around nervously. "IS SOMETHING WRONG?"  
  
You shot Muffet a wary glance, but she seemed occupied with some other patron. "Papyrus... Are you aware that arachnophobia is pretty common in humans?" You whispered at him.  
  
"WHAT'S ARACHNO-"  
  
"SHH!!" You shushed him before the entire room knew what you were talking about. "It's a **fear** of **spiders.** "  
  
"WHY WOULD YOU BE AFRAID OF-" Papyrus tried again, a bit more quietly, though still too loud for your liking.  
  
"Look, I didn't say it was a LOGICAL, fear. Honestly, unless a particular person has an allergy to spider bites, most spiders are fairly harmless, but knowing that doesn't stop my skin from crawling if they get too close." You shuddered at the thought.  
  
"BUT MUFFET'S SPIDER'S WOULD NEVER HURT YOU..."  
  
"Not unless you're one of those terrible humans who gets their kicks stomping on spiders, or tearing their legs off for fun." An ominous voice whispered next to your ear.  
  
"AAAH!" You jumped, and would have tumbled out of your chair if it wasn't right next to the window, which you whacked into instead.  
  
"_____! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!" Papyrus stood from his seat so he could lean over the table and examine you for injuries.  
  
Muffet was next to your chair, all of her eyes trained on you in a predatory fashion. You felt very much like a fly caught in a web.  
  
Papyrus then stepped between you and Muffet. "PLEASE STOP SCARING MY GIRLFRIEND. SHE'S A GOOD PERSON. SHE DOESN'T MEAN TO BE AFRAID."  
  
Muffet blinked up at him in surprise. "This spider hater is your girlfriend?"  
  
You managed to squeak out a response. "Technically I don't hate spiders, I'm just afraid of them. And for the record, I don't get my kicks stomping on them and would never try to touch one, let alone rip off their legs..."  
  
Muffet glanced past Papyrus to eye you suspiciously. "Very well, but if you cause any trouble, I'll... **introduce** you to my pet... Ahuhuhu!" With that, she went back to tending the other tables.  
  
You let out a shuddering breath. "M-maybe we should go somewhere else..." You suggested.  
  
Papyrus looked down at you sadly. "IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO... BUT... YOU WERE AFRAID OF MONSTERS ONCE, TOO, AND LOOK AT YOU NOW! I KNOW YOU COULD CONQUER YOUR FEAR IF YOU REALLY TRIED..." Papyrus was giving you that sweet, hopeful look, and you felt your will to flee this establishment begin to crumble. How could you say no when he had such faith in you?  
  
You sighed. You were such a sucker when it came to Papyrus. "Alright, we'll stay..."  
  
The two of you settled back in your seats, and you decided to distract yourself by browsing the menu. Well, everything looked good if you ignored the whole, 'holy crap! spiders!' thing. Muffet eventually returned to your table to take your order.  
  
"What can I get you?" She smiled at Papyrus.  
  
"I'LL HAVE TODAY'S SOUP SPECIAL IN A BREAD BOWL, TWO CROISSANTS, AND A CUPCAKE, PLEASE! AND COULD I GET SOME HOT COCOA, TOO?"  
  
"Of course, dearie!" She turned to you, not bothering to hide her displeasure. "And you?"  
  
"Erm... I'll have the turkey club sandwich, a spider donut, and a fudge brownie, with a hot cocoa as well, please..."  
  
She gave a curt nod and headed back to the kitchen. You vaguely wondered if you should have just let Papyrus order for you, so she wouldn't know which food was yours... You felt a little ill at the thought that she could tamper with the food out of spite. Well, not much you could do about that, now.  
  
You put your menu back and then slumped slightly with your arms on the table. A bit of movement caught your eyes and you froze.  
  
"IS SOMETHING WRONG?"  
  
Your eyes were locked on your arm where a spider was crawling along your sleeve... Your first instinct was to flail in terror, but you tamped down on that as you remembered exactly where you were. You were pretty sure Muffet would be angry if you flung a spider across the room for invading your personal space.  
  
_"It's okay, it doesn't mean me any harm... It's not trying to bother me..."_ you told yourself as you trembled slightly.  
  
You opened your mouth to speak, and your voice came out in a squeak. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't crawl on me, or even get too close, please." To your surprise, the spider paused its journey across your arm and turned towards you. It angled itself a bit upwards and waved a single foreleg at you, before crawling off your arm, across the table, down to the floor, and away. You continued to stare for a few more moments before you spoke to Papyrus. "Did it just... listen to me?"  
  
"OF COURSE SHE DID. THE SPIDERS HERE ARE VERY POLITE, AND SHE APOLOGIZED FOR MAKING YOU UNCOMFORTABLE."  
  
"Wait... You understood it- I mean, her?"  
  
"YES?" Papyrus' brow rose in confusion.  
  
"Wait... Are all the spiders here monster spiders or something? Is that why you could understand?"  
  
"NO, WELL, MAYBE?" Papyrus seemed unsure. "I THINK THEY WERE NORMAL SPIDERS, BUT, THANKS TO MUFFET'S FAMILY MAGIC THEY'RE NOW KIND OF MAGICAL SPIDERS??"  
  
"So it's part of Muffet's magic that allows them to communicate and coordinate and such? That's pretty impressive, actually, and kind of reassuring. I think I'd get along with spiders a lot better if I could talk to them. Establish some ground rules like no crawling on me or building webs anyplace I'm likely to bump into them."  
  
True to what Papyrus said about them, you noticed all the spiders carefully going around you, presumably to honor your request and help you feel more comfortable. You actually felt a little bad about thinking so poorly of them, but how were you suppose to know they were sentient, and not simply controlled by Muffet?  
  
You didn't have time to dwell on it, as your food arrived. "Here you go, dearie. Enjoy!" Muffet smiled at Papyrus before leaving, not even sparing you a glance. Yep. You were definitely on her shit-list.  
  
Papyrus immediately began eating his soup, and you took a cautious bite of your sandwich. Your eyes immediately widened, and you quickly swallowed the bite.  
  
"My god, this is amazing!" You exclaimed.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH. I KNEW YOU'D LIKE IT. MUFFET IS A MUCH BETTER COOK THAN GRILLBY, WITH ALL HIS GREASY FOOD... ER... THOUGH, PLEASE DON'T TELL HIM I SAID THAT. I WOULDN'T WANT TO OFFEND HIM..."  
  
"Don't worry, I won't." You smiled in amusement.  
  
Papyrus let out a sigh of relief. "GOOD, BECAUSE IF I MANAGED TO OFFEND HIM, HE MIGHT MAKE ME START PAYING OFF MY BROTHER'S TAB, AND I'M PRETTY SURE THAT WOULD BANKRUPT US."  
  
You nearly choked on your sandwich as you struggled not to laugh.  
  
As the two of you continued to eat, you began to relax, nearly forgetting the fact that the place was filled with spiders. The food was amazingly delicious, and you found yourself eating even the crumbs.  
  
After you'd both finished your food, you saw Papyrus turn his gaze to the floor nearby, and you followed it. There was a small army of spiders gathered near your table, and you felt your skin crawl at how many of them there were.  
  
"THEY SAID THEY'RE HERE TO CLEAR AWAY OUR DISHES."  
  
"Oh!" You felt awkward about the sudden stab of fear you'd had. They'd been nothing but polite and accommodating to you. "Um... Thank you." You followed Papyrus' lead and placed your used dishes on the floor. The spiders quickly swarmed them and began carrying them away.  
  
"OH! AND COULD WE HAVE SOME MORE HOT COCOA, PLEASE?"  
  
One of the spiders closest to you paused to acknowledge the request, before skittering off to help move the dishes.  
  
"SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK? ARE YOU GLAD WE STAYED?"  
  
You looked away from the gently falling snow towards Papyrus. "Hah... actually, I am. The food was amazing, the decor is lovely, and the spiders have been very polite despite my... skittishness..."  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH. I'M GLAD. MAYBE WE COULD COME HERE AGAIN SOMETIME?"  
  
"I'd like that! Er... Well, if Muffet doesn't hate me for my fear of spiders..."  
  
"There are no hard feelings, dearie." You startled as Muffet appeared at your table with two fresh cups of hot cocoa. "Us spiders can be rather intimidating when someone tries to mess with us." She gestured one of her arms towards a corner in the back of the room. Your eyes followed and spotted a badly mangled table, laying askew against the wall.  
  
"What happened?!" You asked in surprise.  
  
"Some vandals came in last week to wreak some havoc, but got more than they bargained for. Ahuhuhuhu!" She chuckled deviously.  
  
"THAT'S TERRIBLE! DID THEY DO MUCH DAMAGE?"  
  
"No. They only managed to smash a few cups and plates before we drove them out."  
  
"Cups and plates? Then what happened to the table??" You asked.  
  
"My dear pet, Muffin, got a little... overzealous in her pursuit of the vandals... It's really too bad that it's so cold out, as I'm sure Muffin would have LOVED to 'play' with them a while longer. Ahuhuhuhu!" she cackled.  
  
"MUFFIN DIDN'T ACTUALLY HURT THE HUMANS, DID SHE?" Papyrus asked, a concerned look on his face.  
  
"Hmm? Not really. Although, when I called Muffin and my dear spiders in to deal with them, I think one of them wet himself." Muffet thought hard, trying to remember the exact details of the encounter.  
  
You looked back at the mangled wreck of a table for a moment before a snort of laughter escaped you. "Serves them right. I kind of wish I could have seen their faces when they realized just what they'd gotten themselves into."  
  
"ANYWAY, I'M GLAD YOU ARE ALRIGHT. HOPEFULLY THE HUMANS HAVE LEARNED THEIR LESSON AND WON'T BOTHER YOU AGAIN."  
  
"Ahuhuhu! I don't think they'll be terribly eager to return anytime soon..." Muffet smirked. "Ah, but I've chatted long enough. If you'll excuse me, I must tend to my other customers."  
  
"Oh, of course."  
  
This time, Muffet gave you a small smile as well before leaving.  
  
You returned your attention to Papyrus and found him smiling knowingly at you. "What?"  
  
"IT LOOKS LIKE MUFFET FORGIVES YOU NOW. YOU'RE ALMOST AS GOOD AT MAKING FRIENDS AS FRISK!"  
  
You blushed a bit. "I wouldn't go THAT far. Frisk's amazing."  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH..." Papyrus just chuckled as he smiled proudly at you.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The two of you spent a few hours just chatting and enjoying the cozy atmosphere of Muffet's bakery. Eventually, you decided to head home before the snow got too deep. You did, however, decide to buy some extra goodies to take home with you.  
  
After making dinner together, the two of you settled on the couch to watch a movie. Papyrus was sitting upright, and you were lying lengthwise across the couch with your legs settled across Papyrus' lap. He was currently running his fingers over your legs, his magic emanating lightly, as you had told him your legs were feeling a bit sore after skating earlier and walking everywhere.  
  
You groaned as he worked his fingers into a particularly tight muscle and it began to relax. You didn't notice the light blush that formed on Papyrus' face when you made the sound.  
  
Eventually, he'd worked out all the soreness in your legs and you shifted your position to be cuddled up against him instead. Your head was resting against his chest as the movie ended and the credits began to roll.  
  
You looked up at Papyrus. "Thanks for the wonderful day. I really enjoyed myself." You leaned up and pressed a kiss to his teeth.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH... I ALWAYS ENJOY MYSELF WHEN I'M WITH YOU." Papyrus admitted, blushing.  
  
"Aww!" You grinned widely and pressed your lips back to his teeth more firmly, trying to express how touched you were by the sentiment.  
  
***** // Things go from cuddly and affectionate to a bit heated at this point. If you're not into that, you can skip to the next set of asterisks.  
  
Papyrus returned your affections, his magic beginning to thrum through his bones. Your arms wrapped around his neck while one of his snaked around your waist and the other settled for stroking through your hair at the back of your head. Teeth moved against lips, slowly at first, but with increasing vigor. Papyrus' fingers twitched restlessly at your hip as tiny, pleased groans rumbled through your throat, barely audible over the sound of the TV.  
  
"NYEH..." Papyrus grunted, his voice deeper than usual, as he felt your tongue slip past your lips to trace along his teeth. He hummed in pleasure and parted his teeth to let your tongue explore. With his teeth parted as they were, he was unable to suppress the loud groan that bubbled up as your fingers began exploring his cervical vertebrae.  
  
You pulled back slightly, still gently stroking his vertebrae, and took in his panting form. _"My god, it's so hot to see him like this..."_ Your eyes drifted down to his neck and you became curious. You quickly leaned down and ran your tongue up along the bones.  
  
"NYAAAAAH! OOOH..." Papyrus moaned out loudly and shuddered slightly, not expecting the sudden stimulation.  
  
You ran your tongue more firmly against the bones, and he moaned again, his grip around your waist and in your hair tightening, but making no motion to pull you away. You took this as your sign to continue, and wrapped your lips around one of the vertebra, sucking and running your tongue along its crevices.  
  
Papyrus jerked and an even louder moan was ripped from him. You felt the hand in your hair tug, and allowed him to pull your head back. Before you could question if you'd gone too far, teeth crashed against your lips, barely restrained enough to avoid making the collision painful. You had gasped at the sudden movement, and then you nearly choked in surprise as you felt something slither past your teeth and begin exploring your mouth, leaving that tingling sensation that your brain identified as 'Papyrus' in its wake.  
  
When you were finally able to pull back for air, you saw Papyrus' half-lidded eye sockets glowing with an orange light, and glowing orange magic in the shape of a tongue hanging slightly past his teeth as he panted as well. _"And I thought he looked hot before..."_ Your brain helpfully provided as you felt your body reacting to the sight.  
  
*****  
  
Papyrus, however, fidgeted under your unwavering gaze, and pulled his tongue back into his mouth and dispelled the magic, glancing away self-consciously. "S-SORRY. I DIDN'T MEAN TO DO THAT. IT WAS NEVER MY INTENTION TO MAKE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE..."  
  
You blinked at Papyrus in confusion. "I wasn't uncomfortable, Paps. I was just surprised. I had no idea you could use your magic to form a tongue." You ran your fingers along his shoulders and glanced away shyly. "I, uh... liked it, actually."  
  
"YOU... DID?" Papyrus' gaze returned to you.  
  
You smiled at him, a blush on your face. "Yeah. I... um... wonder what else you can do with your magic..." You let your fingers run down Papyrus' chest, tracing his ribs through his t-shirt and gave him your most sultry look.  
  
"NYEH? ... OH..." Papyrus seemed confused for only a few moments before glancing away shyly, the blush on his face deepening.  
  
Your lustful gaze softened as you saw his embarrassment. "Maybe another time." You gave him a gentle smile as his gaze returned to you.  
  
"BUT..." He seemed worried. "I DON'T WANT TO DISAPPOINT YOU..."  
  
"No, buts. If you're not ready to go further, than we won't. The only way you could disappoint me is if you forced yourself to go through with something you're not ready for. We agreed to be honest about these things, remember?"  
  
"I REMEMBER." Papyrus' look was gentle and relieved. He leaned down and gave you a sweet, loving kiss before pulling away. "THANK YOU FOR BEING SO UNDERSTANDING."  
  
"You're worth the wait." You smiled up at him. Your smile then turned mischievous. "Although, it might have been worth it to see the look on Sans' face if he walked in to find us making out on the couch."  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH." Papyrus chuckled. "MAYBE ANOTHER TIME. FOR NOW, WE SHOULD GET READY FOR BED. YOU'RE GRUMPY IN THE MORNING WHEN YOU DON'T GET ENOUGH SLEEP."  
  
You made an exaggerated pouting face and stuck your tongue out at Papyrus. His eyes glowed orange and he returned the gesture, unable to resist chuckling as he did so. You laughed, too.  
  
A soft smile filled your face, and your heart swelled with love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cleans glasses* Well, things got a bit steamy there. Of course, this is all still a new experience for our favorite cinnamon roll, and he's not exactly ready to take things further. The important thing to take out of this is that consent is key! Always remember, if your partner is not ready to take things to the next level, you shouldn't pressure them to do so. Reader and Papyrus understand this, and so should you! *this has been a message from the I-may-read-non-con-but-have-enough-sense-to-realize-it's-terrible-in-real-life society!*
> 
> Also, after writing the bit with Arctos, I kind of decided that my head-canon is that Papyrus really IS popular with the ladies of Snowdin, but is just too oblivious and focused on becoming a royal guard to notice their attempts to get his attention. ;)


	38. A Conventional Trip to the Big City

You smiled as you watched Alphys, Undyne, and Papyrus from where you were standing, gripping the hand railing of the commuter train the four of you were riding. With the exception of Papyrus going with you to visit your family on Christmas, none of them had ever wandered far from Ebott City, and certainly never taken a train before. It was fun to watch them gape through the windows as the scenery passed by, awed by the sights around them. Everything around you was bright and vibrant as the early spring warmth fostered everything into bloom. You were glad you'd suggested taking the train for this trip rather than driving, otherwise you wouldn't get to share as much in their excitement over the world around them.  
  
"Hey, is that the ocean?" Undyne asked, pointing at a large body of water you were passing now.  
  
"According to my phone, that would be Ghostlight Lake." Alphys corrected her.  
  
"GHOSTLIGHT LAKE? DO GHOSTS REALLY LIVE THERE?"  
  
You chuckled. "Maybe. The lake's known for the fog that develops on it, and they usually set up spooky tours around it during Halloween. During the summer, though, it's mostly just a nice place to go camping and swimming."  
  
Undyne snorted in amusement. "We should go on one of those tours next Halloween." Her smile turned a bit devious. "And we should bring Napstablook along with us."  
  
You laughed. "Bringing a ghost along on a ghost tour? Hah! That would be pretty fun!"  
  
"I bet Aaron would enjoy it as well. He started his own paranormal investigation business." Alphys pointed out.  
  
"Huh... You know, I can't help but wonder... Are ghost stories as humans know them simply a remnant of when monsters, and thus ghosts like Napstablook, used to live on the surface, or do they have a different origin?"  
  
"That's a good question!" Alphys perked up, clearly intrigued by the thought. "It's possible that human encounters with ghost monsters in the past is what inspired modern ideas about ghosts. After all, ghost monsters can inhabit physical objects, which would be a frightening notion for beings who are primarily physical in nature. The incorporeal nature of ghosts also means that they cannot be harmed by physical means, which is a frightening quality to have in an enemy when you only have physical attacks at your disposal. It's entirely possible that the legacy of ghost monsters in the past has helped shape human ideas about the paranormal today."  
  
"But if that's true, why would monsters find the paranormal to be spooky? I mean, Napstablook and its family lived right in the middle of Waterfall, but there were still plenty of residents who were scared of ghosts and stuff." Undyne pointed out.  
  
"I'm, uh... not sure, actually." Alphys admitted.  
  
"Maybe there's more to this world than either can explain." You spoke up. "I mean, the idea of souls being able to reincarnate into a new body has been around for a long time, but it's still not common knowledge that it's actually true, and those of us who know it is don't really understand how it works."  
  
"Ugh... All this philosophical crap is making my head hurt." Undyne complained.  
  
"LANGUAGE." Papyrus scolded absently as he looked out the window at a small valley.  
  
Everyone went back to watching out the windows as the train continued along its course. There were a few stops along the way, and more than a few curious, fearful, or disgusted stares as passengers got on and either settled or moved to another car, but soon the countryside gave way to houses; the houses gave way to buildings; and the buildings gave way to skyscrapers.  
  
You grinned in amusement as the three monsters pressed against the windows to gape at just how tall the buildings were.  
  
"WOWIE... I DON'T REMEMBER EVEN NEW HOME HAVING BUILDINGS THIS TALL." Papyrus commented, letting go of the hand rail so he could lean down and try to get a better angle to try and see the top of the buildings. "NYEH?!" Papyrus stumbled backwards as the train jerked into another turn, but didn't go far as both you and Undyne grabbed hold of him.  
  
"Paps, don't let go of the railing. You can look around more once we're off the train." You scolded him.  
  
"Yeah, punk. Wouldn't want you getting hurt before we've had a chance to have fun." Undyne agreed.  
  
Papyrus grabbed hold of the rail and blushed slightly. "SORRY."  
  
You gave Papyrus a gentle smile to assure him that you weren't mad or anything.  
  
It wasn't much longer before the train pulled in to your stop in the city of Kingsworth, and you grabbed your bag and lead the way onto the platform. With the roof of the train no longer in the way, your three companions were now able to see the shining skyscrapers around them.  
  
"Well, shi-er... shoot." Undyne expressed, neck craned back as she looked up.  
  
"WOWIE." Papyrus was similarly stupefied.  
  
"Oh, my..." Even Alphys couldn't help but gape. She was used to being on one of the top floors of MEET Co. which, while certainly not the largest building in Ebott City, was still fairly tall, however these buildings dwarfed even that.  
  
You smiled at the wonder on their faces for a moment before looking at the map on your phone. "Alright, guys. Looks like the hotel's just a couple blocks away. We should go get checked in, and then we could probably walk around for a bit and decide where we want to go for dinner." You cocked your head towards the exit of the platform to signal it was time to get moving.  
  
"Oh, I can't wait for the convention to start! Tomorrow at 7pm there's going to be a panel with a bunch of voice actors, including Monica Jones who does the voice for Mew Mew in the English dub!" Alphys rambled excitedly as you walked along.  
  
"That's awesome, babe! We'll have to make sure to show up extra early so we get good seats!" Undyne grinned down at Alphys, finding her excitement infectious.  
  
The hotel lobby was already filled with people when you arrived.  
  
"ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE HERE FOR THE CONVENTION?" Papyrus asked, glancing around at the crowd.  
  
"Probably." You told him as the four of you got in line at the front desk.  
  
"THERE'S SO MANY!"  
  
"Haha! And these are only the ones who came a day early. There will still be people who arrive tomorrow, people who commute each day, and those who only have day passes." You pointed out.  
  
It took a bit of time to get through the line and get checked in, but eventually the four of you were able to head up to your room. Undyne dumped her luggage in a corner, but was notably more careful about placing down Alphys' things.  
  
"UNDYNE, CAN YOU NOT MAKE A MESS? WE JUST GOT HERE!" Papyrus grouched as he neatly stacked his luggage and your own, which he'd insisted on carrying up for you despite the fact that you took the elevator and your luggage had wheels.  
  
"So, what are the sleeping arrangements going to be?" Alphys asked, blushing slightly as she motioned to the two queen sized beds.  
  
"Well, that's easy for us. We'll just share a bed." Undyne told her, then turned her lascivious gaze towards you and Papyrus. "What about you two lovebirds?" She was grinning widely.  
  
"I CAN SLEEP ON THE FLOOR." Papyrus offered.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous, Paps. I'm not making you sleep on the floor." You paused to shoot Undyne a glare as her grin widened, and Alphys pretended to be looking away as her blush deepened. "I trust you, and know you'll be the perfect gentleman."  
  
Undyne scoffed and waggled her eyebrows at you, "...But will you be the perfect lady?"  
  
You rolled your eyes and Papyrus blushed. "Of course. What do you take me for?"  
  
Undyne just burst into laughter, apparently done with her teasing, and was soon joined by Alphys' giggles.  
  
"Hey, the same thing applies to you two! I don't want to walk in to see you guys getting handsy with each other, okay?" You smirked as Undyne sputtered and Alphys practically turned into a tomato. "Now that that's settled, how about we go do some sight-seeing before dinner?"  
  
\------------------------------  
  
After you all had settled in, you headed out to do some exploring. The four of you spent a few hours just wandering the streets and taking in the hustle and bustle of the city. You even took everyone to the top of one of the skyscrapers which offered an incredible view of the city. The three monsters had been absolutely floored by the view. Nothing like this had been possible in the underground, and here they were with a city sprawled out below and open skies above them.  
  
Eventually, thoughts turned to dinner and, after a quick vote, it was decided on Italian, with the promise of having Japanese cuisine tomorrow.  
  
After dinner you'd headed to the convention center for pre-registration to check in and pick up your badges. The line had been pretty long, despite the hour, but time seemed to go fast as you all chatted both with each other, and the other people around you. Those you were close enough to talk to mostly seemed intrigued by the presence of monsters, and even told you there were other monsters attending the convention.  
  
After getting your badges, you headed back to your room and settled down for the night. Or, rather, tried to. It was tough with everyone so excited about the convention tomorrow. You'd even tried to tell Papyrus a bedtime story, like he was used to.  
  
"I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE I FORGOT TO PACK ANY BOOKS." Papyrus pouted sullenly as he sat up in bed.  
  
"Not to worry, Paps. We'll just make up a story! It'll be fun!" You smiled at him.  
  
"REALLY?! THAT WOULD BE GREAT!" Papyrus smiled excitedly at you.  
  
"Yeah, punk. We'll come up with the greatest, most epic bedtime story in the history of ever!" Undyne grinned broadly at Papyrus.  
  
"Oh! This sounds like fun!" Alphys smiled excitedly.  
  
"We can make a game of it. We'll each take turns telling part of the story, and the next person has to pick up where the previous person left off." The others nodded in agreement to your idea.  
  
"OH! CAN I START?" Papyrus was bouncing with excitement.  
  
"Sure, Paps! Go ahead!"  
  
"AHEM. ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A BOLD AND DASHING KNIGHT. HE WAS KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE KINGDOM FOR HIS BRAVERY AND KINDNESS, AND WAS BELOVED BY EVERYONE. HE WAS, DARE I SAY, THE MOST POPULAR KNIGHT IN ALL THE LANDS! EACH MORNING, HE BATHED IN A SHOWER OF KISSES FROM HIS MANY ADMIRERS, AND THE KING EVEN HAD A HEDGE TRIMMED IN THE SHAPE OF THE KNIGHT'S SMILE!"  
  
Papyrus nodded to you to indicate that it was your turn. "But all was not right in the Kingdom, and the King called the brave Knight to his throne room. 'Sir Knight, I have received word of some terrible creature terrorizing the citizens at the edge of the Kingdom. I task you with venturing to the border and dealing with whatever is threatening them,' the King commanded. The Knight, ever brave and loyal, agreed without hesitation and set out immediately to the borderlands." You nodded to Alphys.  
  
"It was a long journey that took many days and many nights, as the Kingdom was large and prosperous. When the Knight finally arrived at the borderlands, he was weary from traveling but decided to gather intel on his mysterious opponent before resting up for the night. Oddly enough, he found no indication that anything was amiss. Everything looked fine, and none of the townsfolk he spoke with knew anything about a strange creature terrorizing the borderlands. With no rampaging creature, the Knight opted to rent a room at the local inn so he would be rested for his journey home the next day. However, as he was eating his evening meal, he was subtly approached by a strange Traveler. The Traveler spoke to him in a gravelly voice, 'Do not be fooled by the peace around you. It is merely an illusion.'" Alphys nodded to Undyne.  
  
"The Traveler's voice snapped the Knight from the trance he had been put under, and he came to realize he was wrapped in something warm and wet; it was the tongue of a mighty dragon, drawing him in to devour him! The Knight reached for his sword, but found his arms trapped! He stared into the gaping maw of the dragon, certain death before him! Just then, in a flash of movement the dragon was struck in the eye! It roared in pain and dropped the Knight! The Knight looked up from where he had landed and there before him stood a mighty Warrior from the neighboring Kingdom, wielding a 10-No, 20-foot sword! She was agile, despite her heavy armor, and her strength was second to none! 'You're lucky I was here, punk! Or you'd be nothing but food in a can for this dragon!' she grinned at the Knight. She then leapt at the dragon, and with one mighty swing of her sword, decapitated it!" She nodded to Papyrus.  
  
Papyrus was frowning at Undyne, but continued the story. "JUST AS THE WARRIOR WAS CELEBRATING HER VICTORY OVER THE DRAGON, IT EXPLODED AND CANDY RAINED DOWN AROUND THEM! THE DRAGON WAS ACTUALLY A PINATA! THE WARRIOR STARED IN CONFUSION, AND THE CLEVER KNIGHT EXPLAINED, 'THIS DRAGON PINATA WAS MERELY A DISTRACTION WHILE OUR TRUE FOE ESCAPES! IF WE ARE TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE OF THE BORDERLANDS, WE MUST HUNT DOWN OUR TRICKY ADVERSARY!'" Papyrus indicated it was your turn.  
  
"The Warrior, who had been sent by her own King to investigate the mysterious attacks, agreed to join forces with the Knight. Where one may have failed, together they prevailed. The Knight guided them through the various traps and puzzles meant to end their pursuit, and the Warrior used her extensive combat knowledge to lead them to victory against a variety of foes. Finally, the two arrived at the lair of their adversary, a spooky castle deep in the uncharted woods of the borderlands." You nodded to Alphys.  
  
"The two ventured into the spooky castle, which was oddly bereft of any puzzles or foes. They entered the throne room and, upon seeing who was seated on the throne, the Knight cried out, 'You're the Traveler I spoke with in the illusory town!' The Traveler nodded. 'I am the Traveling Sage. I make my way from land to land, Kingdom to Kingdom, seeking to gain and spread knowledge. When I arrived here, I was beset by a terrible foe whom I knew I could not defeat alone, so I created the Dragon Piñata to lure the bravest and mightiest defenders from each of the neighboring Kingdoms to aid me. You two have passed all my tests, and have arrived just in time; the foe approaches as we speak. Will you aid me in defeating this threat once and for all?'" She nodded to Undyne.  
  
"'Bring it on!' declared the Warrior, hoisting her 30-foot sword!"  
  
"Wasn't it 20-feet last round?" You whispered to Papyrus. He just shrugged.  
  
"Just then, the roof of the castle was ripped away! The wind howled and lightning crackled as a terrifying Mage descended from the sky! 'How perfect! The land's mightiest warriors all in one place for me to destroy! With you out of the way, nothing will be able to stop me from conquering the world and beginning my unending reign of darkness!' the evil Mage cackled. The Mage began to rain fire down upon the three heroes, but it was blocked as they all ducked beneath the Warrior's mighty sword! 'I can't get a good swing at her without exposing us to the fire!' the Warrior told the others. 'Don't worry! I have a plan!' the Traveling Sage assured her. She gathered her two allies close and explained her plan." Undyne passed to Papyrus.  
  
"WITH EVERYONE ON THE SAME PAGE, THEY PUT THE PLAN INTO MOTION! DURING A BRIEF LULL IN THE MAGE'S ATTACKS, THE TRAVELING SAGE JUMPED FROM COVER AND COUNTERED WITH HER OWN MAGIC. WITH THE MAGE DISTRACTED, THE WARRIOR PICKED UP THE KNIGHT AND LAUNCHED HIM UP TO A ROPE TIED TO THE BANNISTER THAT WAS HOLDING ONE OF THE CHANDELIERS IN PLACE. HE CUT THE ROPE, AND SWUNG ACROSS TO THE FLYING MAGE, STRIKING HER DOWN TO THE GROUND WHILE LANDING ON HIS FEET WITH PRACTICED GRACE! THEY QUICKLY BOUND THE MAGE, PREVENTING ANY FURTHER VIOLENCE. 'WHY DID YOU DO IT?' ASKED THE KNIGHT. 'WHY TERRORIZE OUR KINGDOMS?' THE MAGE RESPONDED, 'I WAS LONELY AND JEALOUS OF HOW GREAT AND PROSPEROUS YOUR PEOPLE ARE. OUT HERE, I AM ALL ALONE.' THE KNIGHT FROWNED SADLY AT THE MAGE. 'YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE ALONE ANYMORE. IF YOU ARE LONELY, THEN I WILL BE YOUR FRIEND!'" Papyrus passed the story to you.  
  
"The Mage quickly agreed, happy to have such a strong and devoted friend. While this adventure was over, the bonds created between the four were strong, and their friendship became the stuff of legends. The two Kingdoms became the closest of allies, and were known the world over for their peace and prosperity. The four friends, the Knight, the Warrior, the Traveling Sage, and the Mage, went on to have many more adventures together, but that is a story for another time. The end."  
  
While the story was fun, it did the opposite of what it was suppose to, and instead of quickly drifting off to sleep, the four of you instead stayed up chatting and laughing. It wasn't until at least an hour later that your group finally started to drift off to sleep.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Papyrus laid in bed staring up at the darkened ceiling. It was gradually nearing midnight, and he was currently the only one still awake. He wasn't too concerned about that, though. He'd never really needed much sleep, and had only taken up the habit of sleeping through the night once they reached the surface. Well, mostly. He was still usually up before dawn, and had made a habit of watching the sun rise. The beautiful sight never got old.  
  
No, what concerned him was you sleeping next to him. Not that he minded, or anything! Well... maybe that was the problem. He didn't mind. At all. He was inexperienced, and probably naive about many things when it came to being in a relationship, but he knew that sharing a bed with someone, especially someone you were currently dating, could be seen as a very intimate thing. Undyne and Alphys' reactions earlier had made that abundantly clear. It had taken a year before those two had stopped denying that they were sharing a bed, yet here he was, less than 3 months into his relationship with you, and you were not only sharing the same bed, but doing so in the same room as your friends so there was not even any possibility of denying it.  
  
Papyrus shook the thoughts from his skull. He was clearly reading too much into this. There was nothing intimate going on. There just happened to be only two beds, and you were so kind you had refused to let him sleep on the hard floor. You were also sound asleep, and you weren't even cuddled against him. You two had been closer on the couch than you were right now. Papyrus immediately flushed as the memory of you leaning against his chest and running your tongue along his cervical vertebrae came to mind. This was, of course, followed by the memory of him returning the favor almost a week later. He'd been... curious. He knew you had a skeletal structure, but it was buried underneath all that flesh, and he'd found himself wondering how that effected how you felt things... Was the flesh of your neck as sensitive as his bones could be? The answer had been a resounding 'yes', and he found he rather liked the gasps, and mewls, and groans that escaped you as he'd licked and nipped at your neck. He liked how you had writhed beneath him, panting and desperately pawing as his back and ribs as you tried to pull him even closer...  
  
Papyrus was startled out of his reverie by the sudden orange glow that lit up the room, his magic thrumming intensely. He heard the telltale sound of his companions shifting restlessly in their sleep and started to panic.  
  
_"NO! NO! NO! BAD PAPYRUS! THESE ARE NOT APPROPRIATE THOUGHTS OR REACTIONS WHILE SHARING A ROOM! QUICKLY! CALM YOURSELF! THINK OF SOMETHING UNPLEASANT!"_  
  
Papyrus desperately began trying to think unsexy thoughts. King Asgore in women's underwear, Undyne when she was extra sweaty and smelled like a locker room, Sans' room when he didn't have a chance to sneak in and clean in there for a week. The glow of his magic died down a bit, but it wasn't going away.  
  
He shuddered and turned his mind to the one thing he knew would work.  
  
His, desperate, last resort.  
  
He thought of the time he'd seen Jerry at the beach, wearing nothing but a string-bikini.  
  
The orange glow of his magic immediately disappeared, and Papyrus was now struggling not to vomit. A few minutes of deep breaths and keeping his mind carefully blank allowed him to settle once again. Papyrus came to the conclusion that allowing his mind to wander probably wasn't the best idea at the moment. Besides, you all had a busy day tomorrow. With that decided, Papyrus rolled onto his side to face the wall, his back to you, and finally allowed himself to drift to sleep.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The first thing you were aware of when you woke up was the excited half-whispers of Alphys and Undyne.  
  
"Oh my god, they're so cute!" Alphys barely contained her squeal of excitement.  
  
"Who knew Papyrus was such a stud, huh?" Undyne responded. There was a brief pause before she hissed, "Hey! Don't forget about the flash!"  
  
Too late, apparently, as you saw a flash of light through your eyelids and heard the shutter sound of a camera right before Alphys responded, "Oops!"  
  
You groaned in annoyance and brought your hand to your face to wipe the sleep from your eyes.  
  
Or rather, you tried to. That's when you became aware of a second thing: your arm, and much of your right side, was trapped under a weight. A rather bony, weight.  
  
You cracked your eyes open and blinked blearily down at Papyrus who was cuddled up to your side, fast asleep. His head was resting on your shoulder, his arms thrown around your middle, and his legs were tangled with your own. You didn't often have the opportunity to see Papyrus while he was sleeping, and had even wondered if he ever slept at all. He looked so calm and peaceful.  
  
Your thoughts were interrupted by another flash.  
  
"D-darn it! I swear I turned that off!" Alphys grumbled.  
  
You turned your attention to your friends, who were busy fiddling with Alphys' phone. "If those pictures turn out good, I better get copies of them." You grumbled sleepily as you felt Papyrus beginning to stir.  
  
Alphys sputtered a bit, and Undyne just snickered. "No problem."  
  
Papyrus lifted his head and cracked open his eye sockets as he sleepily took in his surroundings. Another click of the camera, this time without the flash, and Papyrus immediately snapped to full alertness. "NYEH?!" Papyrus blushed as he realized Alphys and Undyne were taking pictures of the two of you cuddled up together, and immediately jerked upright.  
  
"Morning." Alphys greeted him as she continued to fiddle with her phone.  
  
"GOOD MORNING." Papyrus replied automatically.  
  
"It's about time you woke up! You must have been PRETTY comfy to be the last one awake." Undyne grinned at him, and Papyrus' fading blush was renewed.  
  
"It's too early for this, you know..." You complained as you continued to lay there, now with one arm draped across your eyes, and flexing the other to try and get some feeling back into it after having Papyrus sleep on it.  
  
"Yeah, well, too bad, punk! You better get up now and start getting ready before I flip the entire bed over!" Undyne threatened, far too enthusiastically for this time of morning, as far as you were concerned. You did, however, reluctantly comply.  
  
After all, you had a big day ahead of you.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The convention center was already bustling with activity by the time your group had finished getting ready for the day and had had breakfast.  
  
"WOWIE! LOOK AT ALL THE COOL COSTUMES AND ARMOR EVERYONE IS WEARING!" Papyrus glanced around eagerly at the cosplayers wandering around the main hall. There were people dressed up in costumes from all different fandoms. There were groups of people chatting and taking pictures of their favorite cosplays and, while the big-budget amazingly detailed costumes drew large crowds, the less-expensive, but still recognizable costumes also drew people together as they shared their love of their fandoms. There were even a few monsters amongst the crowds.  
  
"Holy crap! Look at that sword!" Undyne exclaimed, pointing out someone in a hyper-exaggerated Cloud Strife costume with an equally exaggerated Buster Sword. He was near one of the walls, posing for pictures.  
  
Your own group was dressed up as well. Alphys was, as one might guess, dressed up as Mew Mew from Mew Mew Kissy Cutie with Undyne dressed as Mew Mew's tomboy best friend, and source of romantic tension, Sasami. Papyrus was dressed as Jack Skellington from the Nightmare Before Christmas, and you were dressed as Sally.  
  
"Wow! Look at this guy's cosplay!" someone nearby said. "Hey, man! Can I get a pictur-Holy shit!" the man, dressed as Sora from Kingdom Hearts, jumped as Papyrus turned to face him. "Christ! You're an actual skeleton!"  
  
"YES??" Papyrus was slightly baffled by the outburst.  
  
"That is AWESOME, man!" the man was now grinning ear-to-ear, he then noticed the rest of your party. "Oh! And you're Sally... And you two are dressed as those characters from Mew Mew. My girlfriend loves that anime!"  
  
The brief tension you felt at his initial reaction dissipated. "That's a nice Sora cosplay you've got." You complimented him.  
  
"Thanks! Hey, would you mind if I got a picture with you guys?"  
  
"Y-you want to take a picture with all of us?" Alphys asked.  
  
"Yeah! I've never met any monsters in person before, and your cosplays are awesome!" the man responded excitedly.  
  
"Sure, why not?" Undyne smiled.  
  
With the help of a passerby, the Sora cosplayer got his picture with your group. "Thanks guys! My girlfriend's going to flip when she sees this picture! I'll see you around!"  
  
That was just the first of many. Your group was stopped frequently by people wanting to take pictures. Admittedly, many of them were because three of your four members were monsters, but they were mostly polite and simply curious. Everyone seemed to be having fun and enjoying to excitement and attention.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"Oh my god! It's Mew Mew Kissy Cosmos! It's a super-rare spin-off series where Mew Mew and Sasami accidentally get launched into the far reaches of space and get caught in an intergalactic war and they need to figure out why the two kingdoms are fighting so they can fix it and teach them the power of friendship so that they can help them get home and there's this really cute space prince who takes a liking to Mew Mew and Sasami gets really jealous and she has to confront her feelings for Mew Mew or risk losing her forever and-!" Alphys began rambling excitedly as she clutched the box set for the spin-off series.  
  
"Alright, alright, babe! We'll get it! Just don't spoil the entire plot for us, huh?" Undyne smiled gently at Alphys, ending her rambling without embarrassing the shy monster.  
  
"Oh! You're right! I can't wait to show you guys!" Alphys was grinning like she'd just won the lottery.  
  
"THESE FIGURINES ARE VERY DETAILED, BUT A LOT OF THEM ARE... WELL... VERY LIGHT ON THE CLOTHING..." Papyrus was awkwardly examining the figurines at a nearby stand. He picked up one of the figurines. "I MEAN, LOOK AT THIS ONE! I THINK THIS IS SUPPOSE TO BE ARMOR, BUT IT BARELY COVERS ANYTHING. IT WOULD NOT BE VERY EFFECTIVE AT PROTECTING HER FROM ATTACKS."  
  
You snickered at Papyrus' obvious confusion and distaste over the state of the figure's 'armor'.  
  
"Hey, it's not that much worse than your own armor, Papyrus. I mean, you always leave your spine exposed." Undyne shrugged and went back to browsing the wall scrolls on display.  
  
"NYEH?! I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT MY ARMOR COVERS ALL MY MOST VITAL PLACES COMPLETELY!" Papyrus responded, downright offended by the insinuation that his armor wasn't perfectly effective.  
  
"I'm sure Undyne is just teasing you, Paps." you gave him a consoling pat. "Anyway, can we head out for now? It's nearly dinner time, and I'm getting pretty hungry."  
  
"We also need to eat quickly so we can get in line for the voice actor panel! We can go to that sushi bar just down the street!" Alphys declared, as she paid for her new anime.  
  
"Well, then, let's get going!" Undyne agreed.  
  
Your purchases made, the four of you headed out.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
It was lucky that you arrived at the restaurant a bit early for dinner, as it soon became packed with con-goers after you were seated and had ordered your food. It was a raucous affair, and while some of the other customers were baffled by all the cosplayers eating there, others clearly realized what was going on and seemed mostly unfazed.  
  
As soon as you got back to the convention center, you got in the quickly-growing line for the panel. Thankfully, the antics of your fellow nerds kept the long wait entertaining, and many approached your group, openly curious about the sorts of anime and other entertainment monsters had underground. You couldn't help but smile as the normally shy Alphys seemed to be in her element, and eagerly discussed which shows they had access to, what she thought of them, and all the new series she'd been introduced to since reaching the surface.  
  
Once the doors were opened for the convention hall, you began filing in. Your group actually managed to get pretty good seats, only a couple rows back and right in the center. The panel was a lot of fun, and the voice actors attending even stuck around to sign autographs. Alphys was practically vibrating with excitement when it was her turn to get an autograph from Monica Jones, the voice actress for Mew Mew.  
  
"Oh! Hello there!" Monica seemed surprised upon seeing Alphys. She took a moment to take in the sight of the monsters before her.  
  
"H-hi!" Alphys squeaked nervously. "I-I'm a b-big fan of your work!"  
  
"I can see that! Those are some very nice cosplays you have there!"  
  
"O-oh! T-thank you! I-it's Mew Mew's outfit from episode 163 where they're raising money for the school's drama club to try and prevent it from being eliminated due to budget cuts, and-" Alphys immediately cut herself off and began to blush. "B-but I'm sure you knew that already..."  
  
"Haha! Actually, I'd almost forgotten about that episode. There were a lot of episodes in that series, so it can be a bit tough to keep track of them all." She smiled kindly at Alphys.  
  
"Not for Alphys, here! She's probably your biggest fan, and with her genius-level nerdery there's no way she'd forget any episode!" Undyne grinned proudly, clapping her hand on Alphys' shoulder.  
  
"To be honest, I had no idea the show had such a following amongst monsters." Monica admitted. "Ah! But we should probably move this along. I'm sure there are many others who'd like a chance to get an autograph, and I'd like to do as many as I can before I have to go."  
  
"O-Of course! C-could you sign this for me? My n-name is Alphys... A-L-P-H-Y-S." Alphys handed over her newly purchased copy of Mew Mew Kissy Cosmos.  
  
"Oh! Nice choice! This was a really fun series to make." Monica smiled at her again as she began signing the box set.  
  
"And make it out to me, too! I'm her girlfriend, Undyne! U-N-D-Y-N-E."  
  
Monica added Undyne's name to the signing as well, and handed the box set back to Alphys. "There you go! It was nice to meet you!"  
  
"T-thank you! I-it was nice to meet you, too!" Alphys beamed.  
  
The rest of you said your goodbyes and got out of the way so the next people in line could get their autographs.  
  
"EEEEEEE!" Alphys seemed about ready to explode from excitement. "Look what she wrote!"  
  
You looked at the box set along with Undyne and Papyrus. It said 'To my biggest fans, Alphys and Undyne. Welcome to the surface! I hope all of your adventures in life end as happily as Mew Mew's. - Monica Jones.'  
  
"What a nice message!" You grinned at Alphys.  
  
"SHE IS CLEARLY A VERY NICE HUMAN!" Papyrus smiled.  
  
"You see that?! We've now got official confirmation that we're her biggest fans!" Undyne was beaming.  
  
"This is the best day ever!" Alphys continued to vibrate like a Temmie.  
  
And her excitement carried her through the rest of the day.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The second day of the convention was just as exciting. There were panels and events, trips to both the dealer's room and artist's alley, and even spontaneous role-play sessions and games with other attendees.  
  
What got you the most, though, was the event that happened shortly after lunch...  
  
Undyne had claimed that she'd forgotten something in the hotel room, and Papyrus had offered to go get it. You were currently standing around in the center of the main hallway of the convention center, chatting with other people and waiting for Papyrus to return.  
  
It was as you were taking a picture of a Nyan Cat cosplay that you heard Papyrus return. "ATTENTION, HUMANS! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE!" You turned around and spotted Papyrus standing on a, thankfully sturdy looking, table with a covered item held on the palm of his hand. "YOU SEE, TODAY IS A VERY SPECIAL DAY! TODAY IS THE BIRTHDAY OF MY GIRLFRIEND, _____!" He motioned towards you with his free hand.  
  
You were too busy staring, stunned, to notice Undyne come up behind you, and she easily lifted you onto her shoulder before striding forward through the crowd of curious onlookers to deposit you on the table next to Papyrus.  
  
"Papyrus, what are you-" You squeaked, feeling both excited and shy about the sudden attention.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH! YOU DID NOT THINK I WOULD FORGET SUCH AN IMPORTANT DAY, DID YOU?" Papyrus smiled at you. He then pulled the cover from the item he was holding, revealing a birthday cake. He leaned down a bit so that Alphys could reach to light the candles with her lightning magic.  
  
_"Whoa! I've never seen Alphys use her magic before!"_  
  
Papyrus then stood up tall again and turned back to the watching crowd. "NOW, IF YOU WOULD ALL JOIN IN WISHING _____ A HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"  
  
You blushed further as your friends, and indeed much of the crowd, began to sing Happy Birthday to you.  
  
"...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOOOOOUU!" Papyrus finished. "NOW, BLOW OUT THE CANDLES AND MAKE A WISH!"  
  
You blew out the candles and couldn't help but grin at the cheering. "Thank you! I didn't expect you to go and do something like this!" You coaxed Papyrus to lean down so you could give him a quick kiss. Undyne wasn't the only one in the crowd to whistle in response.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH! A GREAT PERSON LIKE YOU DESERVES ONLY THE GREATEST OF BIRTHDAYS!" Papyrus hopped down from the table, and put down the cake before helping you down as well.  
  
"Well, I can think of no better way to spend my birthday than with my friends!"  
  
"And we're glad to be able to spend it with you, too!" Alphys smiled at you.  
  
"Heck, yeah! Now, let's dig into that cake and get this party started!" Undyne beamed.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
People were wishing you a happy birthday for the rest of the day, and even into the next. On the third and final day of the convention, Papyrus wore his Battle Body, Undyne wore her full suit of armor, and Alphys wore her lab coat. Despite these being normal for them, they were curious enough to the other attendees that they garnered plenty of attention.  
  
Over all, you had a fantastic, if tiring, weekend. You spent the entire train ride home cuddled up to Papyrus, paying no mind to Undyne's brief attempts to tease you about it.  
  
When you got home, Papyrus headed to the kitchen to make the two of you a snack while you headed off to take a shower. You were just stepping out of the bathroom when you overheard Papyrus and Sans talking, the latter of which had apparently just gotten home.  
  
"SANS! WHEN I ASKED YOU TO DO THE SHOPPING THIS WEEKEND, I DID NOT MEAN 'GO BUY THE CHEAPEST STUFF YOU CAN FIND'! HOW AM I SUPPOSE TO MAKE QUALITY SPAGHETTI WITH THESE WEIRD BRAND INGREDIENTS?"  
  
"sorry bro, but there was nothing i could do. bella's shop was ransacked on friday night. the raiders stole all her money, and destroyed most of the store."  
  
"OH NO! IS SHE ALL RIGHT??"  
  
"for the most part, yeah. apparently they took a few swings at her, but didn't manage to deal much damage before she escaped. there's no telling when she'll be able to reopen the store, though. what little i could see through the boarded up windows was a real mess."  
  
"THAT IS TERRIBLE NEWS! I'M GOING TO GO OVER THERE FIRST THING TOMORROW AND SEE HOW I CAN HELP."  
  
"sounds like a good idea. i'll go with you."  
  
You stood at the top of the stairs, quietly dwelling on what you'd just heard. You felt depressed to hear that the friendly bunny shopkeeper had been targeted once again, and this time, not only had they done far more damage, but they'd actually hurt her. You were disgusted, but not surprised, to hear that humans had done such a thing.  
  
When would the world learn? When would the hatred stop? Somewhere, deep within your soul, you felt the answer: **"Never."**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Truthfully, I'd be SO freaking embarrassed if someone publically announced my birthday and encouraged everyone to sing to me. Not really in a bad way, but in a shy way. 
> 
> Their weekend started out so great and fun. It's too bad it had to end on such a terrible note. And before anyone gets any ideas about that last line, I'm going to tell you right now that it's just Reader's pessimism. An old, very deeply rooted pessimism borne of countless lives' worth of experiences of humans being complete dicks, but still technically just pessimism.


	39. Papy Birthday!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoopsie doopsie! I, uh, kind of forgot that I promised to warn people about the lewd bits in case they didn't want to read them, and here it is, 9 weeks later and I finally realized I never put the skip asterisks in this chapter. 
> 
> Sorry if I caught anyone by surprise with that. It's fixed now.

"Let's get a move on! We haven't got all day!" Undyne tapped her foot impatiently.  
  
"Hey! You're the one who sprung this whole picnic training thing on us at the last minute! If you wanted to have us ready earlier, then you should have told us about it before!" You shot back, as you loaded drinks into a cooler.  
  
"I, FOR ONE, THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA! THE WEATHER HAS BEEN AMAZING, AND IT WILL BE NICE TO GET OUT INTO THE SUNSHINE!" Papyrus said as he packed up various snacks. He was right, of course. It was early April now, and the weather was in that perfect range between the freezing cold of winter and the blistering heat of summer.  
  
"I'm not saying it's a bad idea. I'm just saying that she can't expect us to be ready at the drop of a hat."  
  
"Less talky, more packy, nerd!" You both exchanged amused, knowing looks since Papyrus was distracted. Undyne scooped up the cooler as soon as you put the lid on it and easily hauled it out to her car.  
  
It wasn't too much longer before the three of you had the car all packed up, and headed out. Undyne avoided all the main roads, grumbling something about hating traffic, but you were too busy clinging to any solid surface you could get a hold on as she sped through the streets, whipping through turns. Oh, there was no doubt in your mind who initially taught Papyrus how to drive.  
  
The city streets quickly gave way to country roads, with fields and forests growing in abundance around you. You would have enjoyed the scenery if you weren't so busy trying not to die. Finally, Undyne pulled over and parked the car.  
  
"Come on! It's just a short walk from here!"  
  
Undyne and Papyrus carried most of the stuff, and you followed along with the picnic blanket. Undyne lead the two of you down a dirt path that you hadn't been able to see from the road. After maybe five minutes of walking down the wooded path, the three of you emerged in a clearing filled with flowers, a brook visible just beyond the tree line on the opposite side.  
  
"WOWIE! THIS PLACE IS BEAUTIFUL!" Papyrus quickly took in his surroundings.  
  
"Yeah, no kidding!" you agreed.  
  
"Heh. I sometimes take Alphys here when the weather's nice." Undyne admitted, blushing slightly at the thoughts of her time spent here with Alphys. The moment passed, and she shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Anyway, let's set this stuff down and get to work! I'm eager to see how well your practicing has come along in the past week!" Undyne grinned challengingly at you.  
  
That look had once filled you with fear and doubt. It meant that Undyne was going to push you, and push you HARD. While that look was enough to get your blood pumping in anticipation still, it was now out of an eagerness to meet Undyne's challenge, to prove to her that you weren't the same worthless mage you had been just a few short months ago.  
  
The picnic supplies were set down at the edge of the field, and you and Undyne met in the center. The late morning sun was shining down on you, bright and warm, and a gentle breeze blew through the glade as you tied your hair back to ensure that it didn't get into your eyes. When it came to training with Undyne, even the briefest moment of distraction became a painful reminder of just how quickly things could turn south.  
  
"COME ON, _____! YOU CAN DO IT! SHOW UNDYNE JUST HOW HARD YOU'VE BEEN PRACTICING!" Papyrus encouraged you.  
  
"This is it, nerd. I won't be holding back this time, and you won't get an ounce of help from me with the shields. You ready?" Undyne kept her eyes locked with your own.  
  
"I'm ready." You stated confidently.  
  
Undyne grinned proudly at that, and cracked her knuckles. "Then let's get started!"  
  
Undyne summoned a dozen spears and immediately began launching them at you. You threw up your hand and quickly formed a glimmering white shield in front of you, turning with it to block the attacks. It was just like the time she'd tried to kill you, but this time the shield magic was all your own. Unlike when you were first learning to make a shield, this blocked each attack like it was nothing.  
  
"Good, very good. Forming one shield and then maintaining it is a much more efficient use of your magic than trying to form a new one to block each attack. Your shield is also much stronger than it used to be." Undyne complimented. "I wonder just how strong it is?" She grinned deviously at you.  
  
Without any more warning, she formed another, more powerful, spear and threw it at you. You turned to intercept it, and although your shield quivered under the assault, it held up and blocked it.  
  
"Haha! Excellent! But can you keep up?"  
  
Two, maybe three dozen more spears (you didn't exactly have time to count) were formed and started flying at you from all directions. You immediately realized that they were coming too quickly for you to turn your shield, and so you switched tactics to reform your shield on whichever side you needed it. It was less efficient, but it was also a lot faster than trying to move the shield. You had to keep turning your head, making sure she didn't sneak in any attacks from behind when you weren't expecting them. It was especially tough given that she'd included the spears that leapt over you to switch directions. You were a veritable lightshow with your glowing white shield flickering around you, forming just long enough to block a spear, which dispersed in a crackly show of lightning, before flitting to the next position. It was a bit tiring, but you managed to keep up.  
  
The last of the spears dissipated against your shield. Undyne was grinning at you, the look on her face like a particularly hungry shark that had just found a nice, juicy meal. She started laughing darkly, and that was all the warning you got before she lifted her hand in the air and a ring of spears formed around you. However, these weren't the easily dispersed lightning spears. These spears were quite solid. You locked eyes with Undyne, and your eyes widened at the fire burning within them.  
  
_"Shit."_  
  
"UH... UNDYNE??" Papyrus voiced uncertainly.  
  
It was too late, however. The spears lurched into action, coming at you from all sides. You yelped in fear and ducked down, instinctively bringing up a full-encompassing barrier around yourself. It took a lot of energy to maintain such a barrier, especially under a direct assault, but the quivering of your magic as spear after spear crashed into it was REALLY good incentive not to let it fall.  
  
You weren't sure how long you stayed like that, as your adrenaline addled brain was a WEE bit more concerned with ensuring you weren't impaled rather than how long Undyne maintained her assault. However, eventually you noticed that the attacks seemed to stop. You hesitated for a moment, not sure if Undyne was luring you into a false sense of security or not, but decided that you had to come out sometime. Besides, Undyne was your friend. She wouldn't actually kill you, right?  
  
You finally let the barrier drop, and were greeted by the sight of Papyrus scolding a sheepish looking Undyne.  
  
"-WAS TOTALLY UNCALLED FOR! YOU COULD HAVE SERIOUSLY HURT _____ WITH THAT KIND OF ATTACK! AND WHAT WOULD WE HAVE DONE WAY OUT HERE?! AT LEAST IN YOUR TRAINING ROOM WE WOULD HAVE HAD HOSPITALS NEARBY, OR EVEN ALPHYS IN AN EMERGENCY!" Papyrus paused his rant mid-breath as he noticed that your barrier was now down. "_____! THANK GOODNESS!"  
  
You were tackled by a relieved Papyrus, and scooped up into a tight hug. You glanced at Undyne over his shoulder, and she, too, looked relieved. Although you suspected part of that was because Papyrus had been distracted from his lecture.  
  
Papyrus pulled you away to arms-length and began examining you for injuries. "I'm alright, Paps, really." You assured him. "Looks like I really got this barrier thing down."  
  
"Heck yeah, you do! That was pretty impressive!" Undyne grinned at you proudly. "But don't think this means you can stop training! I won't have you getting rusty after all this work!"  
  
"Haha! I would expect nothing less!" You grinned back at her.  
  
"NYEH HEH! IT'S GOOD KNOWING YOU'RE BETTER ABLE TO DEFEND YOURSELF NOW!"  
  
"No kidding. Although, hopefully I won't actually need it."  
  
"AGREED."  
  
"Well, I don't know about you two punks, but after that training session I'm starving! What do you say we enjoy all those picnic goodies we brought?" Undyne eyed the picnic basket eagerly.  
  
You snorted. "'We'? You mean all those picnic goodies me and Papyrus brought."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, but we wouldn't be out here if it wasn't for me!" Undyne responded as she settled on the picnic blanket Papyrus had just spread on the ground, much to his annoyance as he hadn't gotten the chance to smooth it out.  
  
"Haha! I'll give you that!" you chuckled.  
  
"NYEH." Papyrus huffed as he smoothed out the blanket as best he could, aided by you. Once that was done, the two of you settled on the blanket with Undyne. "NOW, LET'S ENJOY THESE GOODIES TO CELEBRATE A SUCCESSFUL, IF SCARY AND NEEDLESSLY DANGEROUS," he briefly glared at Undyne, "TRAINING SESSION!"  
  
"Here, here!" you agreed, and began to dig in.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The three of you enjoyed the picnic and talked animatedly about a variety of things. You were also proud to note that your attempts to introduce Papyrus' non-lethal cooking techniques to his preparation of magically enhanced monster food seemed to be working. He did complain that it wasn't nearly as powerful as it could be, but you assured him that it didn't really need to be. After all, you couldn't use food to heal past your maximum HP, right? So there was no point in over-doing it.  
  
After a little while, the three of you began to pack-up.  
  
"You know, I think our success today deserves a little celebration!" Undyne grinned at the two of you.  
  
"THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA! MAYBE WE SHOULD GO GET SOME NICE CREAM AT THE PARK!" Papyrus brightened at the idea.  
  
"No!" Undyne immediately shot down the idea, earning confused looks from both you and Papyrus. "I mean, we just ate!"  
  
"I SUPPOSE YOU'RE RIGHT." Papyrus began trying to think of a new idea.  
  
You were still eyeing Undyne, as she seemed tense.  
  
"MAYBE WE COULD GO TO THAT CLUB NAPSTABLOOK DJS AT?"  
  
Undyne fidgeted. "No, that won't work, either! ... I, uh, don't think they're open yet?"  
  
"Then what would you suggest, Undyne?" You asked.  
  
Undyne looked a bit relieved. "Huh... let's see... How about a trip to the zoo? There's one in the next town over. I mean, penguins are cool, right?"  
  
"PENGUINS? AREN'T THOSE THE BIRDS THAT WEAR FANCY OUTFITS?"  
  
"Er... sort of?" You scratched your head, not sure what to say to that.  
  
"THAT WOULD BE FUN TO SEE!"  
  
"It's decided, then! Let's go!" Undyne grinned.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"THEY'RE SO DAPPER AND FANCY! ALL THEY NEED ARE LITTLE BOW TIES!" Papyrus marveled at the penguin exhibit.  
  
You chuckled, "Yeah, although I don't think bow ties would hold up so well in the water."  
  
"Come on! I heard they're going to feed the crocodiles soon! I want to see that!" Undyne began coaxing the two of you along.  
  
"WHAT'S A CROCODILE?"  
  
"It's a large, semi-aquatic reptile. They're actually pretty cool." You told Papyrus.  
  
"Yeah! I heard that they do something called a 'death roll' to kill and eat their prey!" Undyne responded enthusiastically.  
  
"NYEH?!" Papyrus seemed surprised and a bit confused by this.  
  
"It'll probably be easier if we just show you. Come on. The crocodile exhibit is this way." You lead the way.  
  
The show, as you expected, was very educational, and did its best to be exciting while emphasizing the plight of crocodiles and other animals throughout the world.  
  
"WOWIE... THEY SURE WERE STRONG."  
  
"Yeah! That was totally awesome! Did you see how that big one rolled and splashed water everywhere as it ripped that chicken in half?!"  
  
You stopped walking and looked into a nearby exhibit. "Hey, look! Pandas!"  
  
Indeed, in the exhibit there were a number of what appeared to be baby pandas romping about and stealing their caretaker's tools as she tried to clean the exhibit. It was pretty cute and hilarious to watch, actually.  
  
"NEVER MIND THE FACT THAT THEY OUTNUMBER YOU, HUMAN! YOU CAN DO IT!" Papyrus yelled encouragement to the frazzled handler.  
  
"God! Look how fat and roly-poly they are!" Undyne commented as the pandas tumbled about, frequently rolling head-over-heels.  
  
"They're the most adorable bunch of trouble-makers that I've ever seen!" You laughed as the handler chased one of the pandas across the exhibit as it stole her broom. You turned to Undyne. "Man, it's been years since I've been to the zoo. I forgot how fun it could be." You admitted.  
  
"INDEED! COMING HERE TODAY WAS A GOOD IDEA! I HAD NO IDEA THESE BLACK AND WHITE BEARS WERE SUCH MASTERS OF JAPERY!"  
  
"Hehe! I knew you punks would have fun!" Undyne grinned triumphantly.  
  
You went back to watching the pandas and cheering on the handler. Eventually, she managed to get the exhibit clean, and gave your group a triumphant wave as you cheered at her. The three of you were deciding where to go next when Undyne's text alert went off. She paused and spent a few minutes texting back and forth before turning her attention back to where you and Papyrus were waiting.  
  
"Hey, I hate to cut things short, but it looks like Alphys needs me. I'll drop you guys off at home." Undyne told the two of you, giving you a significant look.  
  
You understood immediately. "Ah, no problem. We still got to have plenty of fun. We'll have to come back again sometime."  
  
"IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT?"  
  
"Oh, yeah! Everything's fine! It's just a minor thing, really, but you know when the girlfriend calls, you don't keep her waiting." Undyne grinned at Papyrus, and he smiled back as he linked his fingers with your own, fully understanding that sentiment.  
  
The three of you headed back to Undyne's car, and you strapped in for the inevitably 'exciting' ride home.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"WHY ARE WE TAKING ALL THESE BACK ROADS?" Papyrus questioned as Undyne sped through the mostly quiet and less traveled streets of Monstertown.  
  
"Er... Alphys warned me that there was... uh... construction being done on the main roads! It's all weird detours and stuff, so it's just easier to go this way." Undyne refused to look at Papyrus while she said this, and you weren't sure whether to be more grateful that she was keeping her eyes on the road, or suspicious of how shady she was acting. You already knew what was going on, or so you'd thought. The weird detours, though, didn't make any sense to you, but you couldn't ask Undyne about it without risking the other secret.  
  
Much to your relief, it wasn't much longer before Undyne pulled into the driveway at the brother's house.  
  
"THANK YOU FOR THE PICNIC AND TRIP TO THE ZOO, UNDYNE! IT WAS A LOT OF FUN!"  
  
"Heh, any time, Paps." Undyne smiled fondly at Papyrus. As Papyrus was stepping out of the car, Undyne shot you a look.  
  
"Oh! Uh... You must be thirsty, Undyne. I know I am. Why don't you come in and have a drink before finding out what Alphys wanted?" You scrambled to come up with something.  
  
"Sounds good, nerd. I am pretty parched." Undyne accepted the excuse, and followed you and Papyrus up to the front door.  
  
Papyrus unlocked the door and stepped inside. "UGH, IT'S SO DARK. SANS, YOU LAZY BONES! DID YOU PULL ALL THE CURTAINS SO YOU COULD NAP IN THE LIVING ROOM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY AGAIN?" Papyrus flicked the light switch and was startled.  
  
"SURPRISE!" Came the chorus of monsters as the lights came on. The living room was set up for a party, with balloons, streamers, food, and even a banner declaring 'Happy Birthday Papyrus!' It was also filled with monsters in party hats grinning cheerfully at the surprised skeleton.  
  
Papyrus' eye-sockets were wide and sparkling, his jaw hung open and he had his hands at his face. "A SURPRISE PARTY? FOR ME?"  
  
You and Undyne high-fived at successfully keeping Papyrus out of the house so the party could be set up, all without him becoming suspicious at all.  
  
"of course, bro. how could we not have a party to celebrate the birthday of the coolest guy in town?" Sans grinned admiringly at Papyrus.  
  
Frisk ran up to Papyrus with Flowey and excitedly began signing as best they could one-handed. 'Come on! There's cake, and presents, and games, and all kinds of fun stuff planned!'  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus chuckled and followed along as Frisk grabbed his hand and dragged him over to a chair set up in the center of the room with a table set up in front of it.  
  
You and Undyne were handed party hats as Sans brought a special party hat over for his brother. A few moments later, Toriel walked in from the kitchen carrying a homemade cake with lit candles on top. Surrounding the message of 'Happy Birthday Papyrus!' on top of the cake were a mish-mash of sprinkles and decorations. Given the proud look on their face, it was obvious that Frisk, and probably Flowey, had helped decorate the cake.  
  
Once the cake was placed down in front of Papyrus, everyone began to sing. "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Papyrus! Happy birthday to you!" Papyrus took a deep breath and blew out all the candles. A deeper part of your mind still kind of wondered how that worked, but you just chocked it up to being some sort of magic you wouldn't understand, anyway.  
  
Toriel smiled fondly at Papyrus. "Happy birthday, dear. Now, why don't you open your presents while I cut up and distribute the cake?"  
  
"THANK YOU, YOUR MAJESTY! I CAN'T WAIT TO HAVE SOME!"  
  
Toriel picked up the cake and returned to the kitchen while Frisk eagerly grabbed the first gift and plopped it on the table in front of Papyrus. 'This one's from me and Flowey!'  
  
Papyrus eagerly ripped off the paper and gasped. "IS THIS WHAT I THINK IT IS??"  
  
'Yep! It's a DVD featuring the MTT episodes that aired when I was in the underground, MTT: The Killer Robot and Human Spectacular! It even features interviews with Mettaton, Alphys, and Me about the show. It's not going to be officially released for another two weeks, but we got you an advance copy.' Frisk signed.  
  
"Yeah, we got everyone to autograph it for you, too." Flowey pointed out.  
  
"THIS IS AMAZING! THANK YOU FRISK! THANK YOU FLOWEY! WHAT AN INCREDIBLE GIFT!" Papyrus pulled the two into a hug, Frisk laughing happily, and Flowey trying to look like he wasn't secretly proud of Papyrus' reaction.  
  
Papyrus continued opening his presents, and while there were notably fewer people at this party than there were at the Christmas party, the presents indicated that there were plenty of people who were unable to make it, but wanted to wish Papyrus a happy birthday, regardless.  
  
"hey, this ones from bella bunny." Sans said, then sniffed the gift. "ooh. smells good." He handed it over to Papyrus.  
  
Papyrus opened the gift and found a number of goodies and cooking ingredients he hadn't been able to get since her shop closed for repairs. "THERE'S A NOTE, TOO." Papyrus pulled out the paper and read it out loud. "'FOR MY DEAR FRIEND AND BEST CUSTOMER, PAPYRUS. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HELP YOU'VE GIVEN ME OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS. I HOPE YOU HAVE AN AMAZING BIRTHDAY! - BELLA.'" Papyrus' smile was both sad and fond. He was sad that she had needed the help, but he was happy to have been of assistance.  
  
While Papyrus continued opening his gifts, you saw Alphys and Undyne discussing something off in the corner of the room. They looked incredibly serious and worried. Afterwards, Alphys rejoined the festivities, her smile looking a bit strained, and Undyne headed to the kitchen. It wasn't too long after Papyrus finished opening his gifts that Toriel and Undyne emerged from the kitchen.  
  
"Now, who would like some cake?" Toriel offered, handing out the plates she'd carried with her. Undyne, who was also carrying slices of cake, started handing those out as well.  
  
"Thank you." You smiled at Toriel as you accepted a slice of cake. You took your first bite and closed your eyes, savoring the flavor. It was really good!  
  
After you'd all enjoyed the cake, the festivities continued with music, laughter, and games. Even Flowey was pulled out of his normally dour mood.  
  
The party eventually wound down, and those who were left helped with the clean-up.  
  
"THANK YOU, ONCE AGAIN FOR THE AMAZING PARTY!" Papyrus beamed.  
  
"Of course! It was our pleasure!" Alphys responded.  
  
"I KNOW UNDYNE LEFT TO CHECK IN WITH THE GUARDS ON PATROL, BUT WHEN SHE GETS HOME BE SURE TO THANK HER AGAIN FOR ME!"  
  
"I will." Alphys smiled.  
  
"I must go as well. It is time for these two to go to bed." Toriel gestured with her head to Frisk and Flowey who were fast asleep in her arms. "Good night, Papyrus."  
  
"GOOD NIGHT, YOUR MAJESTY! SLEEP WELL!"  
  
Sans stepped up to the front door. "hey, bro. i'm just going to go with them to make sure they get home safely. why don't you get ready for bed and pick out what story you want to hear for when i get back?"  
  
"ALRIGHT, BROTHER. YOU STAY SAFE, TOO!"  
  
"'Night, everyone." You waved at the small group as they left, locking the door behind them. You turned to see Papyrus gathering up his gifts to bring upstairs. "Need some help?"  
  
"IF YOU DON'T MIND."  
  
You helped gather up the remaining gifts and cards and brought them up to Papyrus' room. You tried to help put things away, but Papyrus was very meticulous about where everything should go.  
  
"ER... WHY DON'T YOU GET READY FOR BED? I CAN TAKE CARE OF THIS." He suggested.  
  
"Fine, fine." you clucked in mock-annoyance, but gave him a smile to show you were just teasing.  
  
You headed back to your room and started getting ready for bed. After you'd finished getting ready yourself, and fed Cleo, you returned to Papyrus' room and knocked on the door.  
  
"COME IN!"  
  
You entered and saw that, not only had he put away all his gifts in their new, rightful places, but he'd also gotten ready for bed and changed into his pjs.  
  
"YOU NEED TO FEEL THIS NEW BLANKET I GOT! IT'S SO SOFT! IT MAY EVEN BE SOFTER THAN CLEO!" Papyrus grabbed your hand and pulled you over to the bed excitedly.  
  
You ran your hand along the blanket which featured a racetrack and finish line pattern. "Oh, wow! That really is soft!"  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH! TOLD YOU!" Papyrus flopped down onto the bed and snuggled the blanket.  
  
You sat on the edge of the bed, running your hands over the incredibly soft blanket for a while, just enjoying the feel of it.  
  
Your mind began to wander, _"I wonder why Sans isn't home yet? It feels like it's been long enough to escort everyone home and get back."_  
  
You caught sight of movement out of the corner of your eye and slowly turned your head. Papyrus was sitting up now, grinning deviously at you.  
  
_"Uh, oh... I know that look..."_ You tried to leap away, but were caught as strong, skeletal arms wrapped around your middle.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH! LOOKS LIKE I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE CAPTURED A HUMAN!" Papyrus cackled.  
  
"Wait, Papyrus! Don't-" Your pleas were cut off as bony fingers dug into your sides. Uncontrolled laughter escaped your throat and you squirmed in his grasp as Papyrus tickled you relentlessly. Tickle attacks were one of Papyrus' favorite things to do ever since he realized just how incredibly ticklish you were. Sometimes he didn't even have to lay a finger on you to get you squirming, which amused him to no end.  
  
"HAHAHAHA! PAPYRUS! HAHAHAHA!" You tried to plead with him, but couldn't stop laughing long enough to get anything out.  
  
You wriggled in his hold and he shifted you onto the bed, trapping you between him and the wall, while simultaneously freeing his other hand for more tickling. "NYEH HEH HEH! YOU CANNOT ESCAPE THE GREAT PAPYRUS!"  
  
You squealed breathlessly at the assault, and finally he relented, allowing you to catch your breath, but not releasing you from where he had you trapped. "N-no fair!" you huffed, your breathing returning to normal. "You're not as ticklish as I am!" you pouted.  
  
"YOU CANNOT EXPECT TO BEST ME IN SUCH A BATTLE! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AFTER ALL!" Papyrus grinned triumphantly down at you.  
  
You continued to pout for a few more moments before a thought crossed your mind, followed by a mischievous smile. "I may not be able to beat you in a tickle fight..." your eyes lidded and you let the next part come out as a purr, "...but that doesn't mean I don't have you **exactly** where I want you..."  
  
"NYEH?" Papyrus barely had time to process your words before you reached up and pulled him into a heated kiss.  
  
***** // Things get frisky here. Skip to the next set of asterisks if you don't want to read the lewd part.  
  
Your tongue danced along his teeth briefly before they parted to allow you entrance. His own tongue manifested and entwined with yours, but you refused to relinquish control of the kiss. Papyrus groaned as you tilted your head to gain better access as you ravaged his mouth. You continued like this until the need for air was too much, and you pulled away, panting.  
  
Papyrus didn't give you much time to recover before leaning down to assault your neck. You mewled at the sensation and tilted your head to give him better access, running your fingers down his spine. His own fingers twitched in response at your sides, and he moaned lightly into your neck.  
  
Papyrus returned his teeth to your lips, and your fingers traced along his bottom ribs. You ran your fingers along his ribs through his shirt for a few moments before reaching down and snaking your hand inside his shirt. Papyrus gasped in surprise as your fingers came into contact with his bare bones, and you paused, giving him the opportunity to pull back or tell you to stop. Instead, he leaned further into your touch and deepened the momentarily-interrupted kiss.  
  
Papyrus' soul swelled and thrummed. Your touch was so soft and gentle as you explored the dips and curve of his ribs. Normally his bones weren't this sensitive, but with the excess magic flowing through them right now, he think he understood why you protested so much when he tickled you. It was torture. An odd torture that left him wanting more, but torture none-the-less. He whined slightly into the kiss, pushing his chest more firmly into your hand.  
  
You pushed him away slightly, and took a moment to catch your breath. "What's wrong, Papy? Is there something that you need?"  
  
He groaned in frustration. How could you not realize what he wanted? What he NEEDED? Were you really going to make him say it out loud? He then noticed the mischievous glint to your eye and your amused smirk, and realized that you were right. He may have you trapped beneath him, but you DID have him exactly where you wanted him. His eye sockets narrowed challengingly and he smirked back at you. He wouldn't lose this battle so easily!  
  
You watched Papyrus smirk smugly at you, and then gasped as you felt bare fingers sneak up your shirt. "NYEH HEH HEH..." Papyrus chuckled at your reaction, his voice deeper than normal. He ran his fingers over your sides and stomach, massaging firmly, but not unpleasantly, into the flesh. He watched your face with an intense expression as his fingers slowly moved farther and farther up. You were panting with anticipation by the time his finger tips, tracing their way slowly up your ribs, reached the underside of your unbound breasts. The orange glow of his eyes flickered brighter at the moan that escaped you when he finally cupped your breast. He fondled your breast, gently at first, but with growing firmness and confidence as you arched into his touch, letting out another breathy groan. He played with the nipple a bit, its different texture standing out and drawing his curiosity.  
  
He couldn't resist. Your little gasps and flushed face drew him in for another deep kiss. He moaned into the kiss as he realized your hands were back inside his shirt and were firmly, and confidently, tracing along his ribs. He pulled his head back, moaning loudly, while simultaneously arching into you as he felt your fingers rub the inside of his sternum. He wasn't sure exactly when, but at some point you'd managed to completely unbutton his pajama shirt, and you took the opportunity to lean up and run your tongue along his clavicle before sucking on the sensitive bone.  
  
You smirked as Papyrus let out a stuttering moan as you nipped gently at his clavicle while running your fingers along the inside of his ribs, which seemed particularly sensitive. He collapsed back down onto his elbows, panting as he hovered over you. You switched your attack point to his cervical vertebrae and felt his hips thrust against your own in response. _"Huh. When did he position himself between my legs like that?"_ Your curious musing was interrupted when his arms snaked underneath you and he once again thrust his tongue into your mouth.  
  
His grand plan to make you admit defeat in this game of seduction was abandoned. He didn't really care anymore. All he wanted was to touch you. To feel you up against him. To hear those delicious sounds that you made when he explored your body. He wrapped his arms around you and kissed you with all the passion he could muster. One hand remained on your bare back underneath your shirt, massaging the muscles around your spine. The other hand traveled further down, groping at your ass through your pajama pants while pulling it up to meet the instinctive thrust of his hips. His soul soared in excitement as you broke the kiss to cry out at the sensation, and ground your hips back into his own.  
  
You cried out as Papyrus groped you and thrust his pelvis into your over sensitized clit. You were fairly certain he hadn't done it on purpose; he was far too inexperienced for that. This had already gone much further than you had expected, and if the two of you didn't stop now, he might not be 'inexperienced' for long. However, you were far too aroused to stop yourself from wrapping your leg around his hip and grinding up into him in response. You shuddered at the needy moan that escaped him, and the feeling of him grinding against you continued to draw wanton gasps and groans from you. You had one hand tangled amongst his exposed ribs, pulling him close as you rubbed your taut nipples against the irregular surface of his chest, and the other hand ran up and down his spine, determined to map out all his most sensitive spots there.  
  
"P-Papyrus..." You moaned, hazy and filled with lust.  
  
*****  
  
You both froze as Papyrus' phone suddenly buzzed and his ringtone started going off. You both glanced in the direction of the phone as it vibrated and blared from the nearby table, before turning to look at each other.  
  
Papyrus looked absolutely mortified now that the moment had been interrupted, his entire skull tinted with his blush. "I, UH... SHOULD PROBABLY ANSWER THAT. NO ONE WOULD CALL ME AT THIS TIME OF NIGHT IF IT WASN'T IMPORTANT." He glanced away sheepishly, but made no effort to pull away.  
  
You let a short, partially relieved, partially exasperated laugh. "Of course. Um... Go ahead." You disentangled yourself from Papyrus, and he carefully moved to the edge of the bed and grabbed the phone, glancing at it to see who was calling before answering it.  
  
"HELLO, UNDYNE." Papyrus pulled the phone away and attempted to clear his throat, his voice still a bit husky. "IS SOMETHING WRONG? YOU DON'T NORMALLY CALL AT THIS TIME OF NIGHT."  
  
While Undyne wasn't nearly as loud as Papyrus, her voice did still tend to carry, and you were able to hear her response.  
  
"Uh, yeah. I need you to cover Greater Dog's patrol route tonight."  
  
"WHAT? REALLY??" Papyrus' eyes widened in surprise. "BUT I THOUGHT ONLY MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL GUARD WERE ASSIGNED PATROL ROUTES?"  
  
"Yeah, well, we're spread a little thin at the moment, and I can't have a gap like that in our defenses. Look, I wouldn't normally spring this on you like this when you were obviously trying to sleep, but it's really important."  
  
"DON'T WORRY, UNDYNE! I WASN'T SLEEPING! AND IT WOULD BE AN HONOR TO COVER FOR GREATER DOG! IT'LL ALMOST BE LIKE I'M AN OFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD!" Papyrus was downright beaming at that idea.  
  
"Look, Papyrus, this isn't a game! I- wait... Did you say you WEREN'T sleeping?" there was a brief pause. "If that wasn't you clearing sleep from your voice when you picked up, then..."  
  
You and Papyrus exchanged mortified looks at the accidental slip-up. Silence reined for several tense moments before Undyne spoke up again.  
  
"Put it on speaker phone. If I'm going to explain all this to you and _____, I may as well only do it once." Undyne sighed.  
  
You and Papyrus exchanged another glance, this one deeply worried. Papyrus switched the phone to speaker phone.  
  
"What's going on, Undyne?" You were tense. It wasn't like Undyne to blatantly ignore a chance to tease you and Papyrus about your relationship.  
  
"I didn't want to spring this on you guys today, especially since it was your birthday, Papyrus, but things have not been good. There have been scores of anti-monster protesting throughout the main parts of Monstertown all day. Most of it hasn't escalated beyond hate-filled shouting, but there have been a few episodes of violence. This afternoon, some group of individuals in a car pulled up next to Grillby as he was walking down the street and tried to take him out with a fire extinguisher before speeding off. Thankfully, the perpetrators struggled to get the fire extinguisher going, and it gave Grillby enough time to get out of range."  
  
Papyrus looked stunned, and your blood ran cold. Undyne, however, wasn't done.  
  
"And Greater Dog..." Undyne took a moment to steady her breathing, the rage and grief clear in her voice. "Greater Dog is currently at an emergency veterinary clinic being treated for anti-freeze poisoning. Apparently, someone dumped a bag of dog food soaked in anti-freeze into GD's yard today, and the dumb, lovable lug ate it without a second thought. He..." Undyne once again had to steady herself. "I was worried when he didn't report in earlier, and went to his house to see what was up. If I hadn't arrived when I did, he might have..."  
  
Everyone sat in silent horror at the unspoken words.  
  
"Look, the point is, what I'm asking you to do is DANGEROUS. There's a very real possibility things could turn violent at any time. If it does, you may have no choice but to Fight. Do you understand me? There will be no talking things out! If you are attacked, you either Fight for your life, or run." Undyne's voice emphasized just how deadly serious she was at this moment.  
  
"I UNDERSTAND, UNDYNE." Papyrus responded, equally serious.  
  
"Good. While you're on patrol, I want you to call me if there's even the slightest hint of things becoming violent. You are to try to avoid getting pulled into a fight if at all possible. That's an ORDER."  
  
"YES, CAPTAIN UNDYNE!" Papyrus' posture straightened as he fell into the habits of a trained soldier.  
  
"I could go with you! I could use my barrier magic if things get bad!" You offered.  
  
"I'm afraid that's not a good idea, _____." Undyne responded.  
  
"What? Why not?!" You felt a bit offended. Hadn't you proven just today that you were perfectly capable of wielding your magic?  
  
"I trained you to use your magic so you could use it to defend yourself in a dire emergency. It should be your last line of defense. Right now, most monsters and humans don't know who you actually are, or that you can use magic. If word got out about that, chaos would ensue. Monsters, already frightened by current events, would fly into a panic, and we can't be sure humans wouldn't react to your magic in the same way they have in the past."  
  
You didn't need Undyne to spell it out to know what she was implying. You'd witnessed enough of your past lives' deaths to know how humans tended to react to people with magic.  
  
"I understand." You responded morosely. You felt utterly useless.  
  
You could hear the sympathy and reassurance in Undyne's voice, "Hey, one of these days, when monsters are recognized as the people we are by humans, we'll be able to introduce you, the real you, to the rest of society. And when that day happens I, and all your friends, will stand by your side and show everyone, both monsters and humans, just what a great person you are. You won't have to suffer like you have in the past with us by your side. You have my word."  
  
You smiled sadly. "Thanks, Undyne."  
  
"No problem, nerd. Now, you should probably leave the room so Papyrus can change. Well, unless you've already seen him naked." The smirk was back in her voice.  
  
"UNDYNE!" Papyrus gasped, scandalized, and you covered your face with your palms. You knew she couldn't resist teasing the two of you for long.  
  
Undyne chuckled briefly, before her tone turned serious again. "I mean it. I expect you out on patrol, post haste!"  
  
"YES, SIR!"  
  
"And, Papyrus?"  
  
"YES?"  
  
"Stay safe."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who skipped the asterisks part, you didn't miss anything important, plot-wise. Just Reader and Papyrus getting to second-base. 
> 
> If you want to know exactly what inspired to scene about the pandas at the zoo, just look up "Cute！What did panda do when zookeeper cleaning the leaves" on Youtube. It's so adorable, you may overdose on cuteness. ;)
> 
> Things are escalating! Both in Reader/Papyrus' relationship, and in anti-monster sentiments. Of course, this shouldn't be TOO surprising. I am the one writing it, after all, and as much as I love fluff, I also love drama. And let's face it, until Reader can reconcile her past and be accepted for who she is in the present, then the drama isn't over.


	40. Rising Violence

You were a nervous wreck. It was now 2 in the morning and you hadn't slept a wink. How could you? With Papyrus out patrolling the streets amongst people who had no qualms about trying to murder monsters, there was no way you'd be able to rest. It took all your willpower not to text or call him to check up on him, with only the fear that such a distraction could get him killed stopping you. On top of that, Sans hadn't returned home, either. You'd tried texting and calling him, but got no response, with the phone going straight to voicemail.  
  
You paused your pacing about the dark living room to glance at the TV. It was the only thing you'd dared to turn on, for fear of drawing attention to the fact that you were still in the house. You'd turned on the local news station which was covering what was happening in Monstertown. What had started off as protests throughout the day had devolved into a full-blown riot as night fell.  
  
"Riots continue in the Monstertown district of Ebott City tonight. Police and other emergency personnel are currently struggling to try and contain the situation. Also, several fires continue to blaze unchecked in the district as fire crews are unable to get to them due to rioters clogging the streets with vehicles. We've been told that residents of Monstertown are being systematically evacuated for their own safety, but information on which neighborhoods have been evacuated, and which have yet to be is being kept secret to avoid tipping off rioters. More news on this story as it develops."  
  
You wondered briefly if you should evacuate, too. But where would you go? You weren't sure where the monsters were being evacuated to, though it would have to be somewhere secure. You supposed you could always go back to your old apartment, as it had been fixed up months ago, and you still had a couple months left on your lease. However, there was another problem. You had no idea how to get out of Monstertown safely. The news didn't detail exactly where all the rioters were. It's possible they would ignore you, given that you're human, but it's also possible you could be recognized as a friend of monsters... It's not like you kept that fact a secret, and if that happened then you were going to be in some pretty deep trouble.  
  
Your musing was cut short as the TV flickered off and you were plunged into complete darkness. You stumbled over to the window and pushed the curtains aside slightly to see that the entire neighborhood, street lights and all, was dark. You cursed as you smacked your shin into the coffee table before forming a small ball of magic so you could see.  
  
_"I guess this little trick isn't as useless as I thought."_  
  
You used the light from it to make your way to the kitchen to try and find that flashlight you'd seen in a drawer just the other day. You prayed it had working batteries, as you'd hate to waste your magic like this. It took a few minutes of searching before you found it. Thankfully, Papyrus kept a set of batteries for it right next to it, and it was as you were popping them into the flashlight that you heard the floor in the living room creak, causing you to freeze.  
  
_"Oh god... please let that be my imagination..."_  
  
Making sure all sources of light were off, you crept over to the doorway and glanced cautiously out, trying to make out any shapes in the darkness. When you saw nothing, you gradually began making your way out into the living room. You tensed as the floor creaked again, this time right next to you.  
  
"Mreow?" You let out a breath of relief at the sound of Cleo's meow and the feel of her brushing up against your legs, seeking attention.  
  
"Christ, Cleo. You scared me." You flicked the flashlight on to find Cleo sitting at your feet, and bent down to give her a quick pat.  
  
"there you a-"  
  
You let out a shriek and flung your hand out in the direction of the voice, a shield forming instantly and swiftly thrusting out to bash at your would-be attacker. Or, it would have if they didn't dodge it. The light of the magic, however, illuminated a very familiar shape.  
  
"Sans??" you turned the flashlight towards him. He was sweaty and looked downright exhausted.  
  
"sorry about that. didn't mean to **rattle your bones.** " Sans shrugged.  
  
"Where have you been?! I've been trying to contact you all night! Undyne called Papyrus to cover GD's patrol, and I've been completely in the dark about what's been going on."  
  
Sans let out a strained laugh at your accidental pun. "sorry about that. my phone battery died hours ago, and i've been too busy helping evacuate everyone to get it charged." He gave you an apologetic look.  
  
You huffed, still angry that he'd made you worry, but understanding that all of Monstertown was dealing with a bad situation right now.  
  
"we're evacuating this section of town now. everyone's meeting up at the monster embassy. we should hurry. everyone's doing their best to keep the rioters away from the embassy, but if we don't move quickly we might get trapped in the middle of them." Sans explained. "normally i'd just take you there via shortcut, but i'm running on empty with my magic, so we're going to have to get there on foot." He looked decidedly nervous about this.  
  
"Are there many more people to evacuate?"  
  
"thankfully, no. this is the last area i need to worry about, as there are others handling the remaining ones. so, let's go."  
  
"W-wait! I can't leave Cleo!" you scooped up your cat and headed for the stairs. "I need to put her in her carrier, or she could freak out and run off."  
  
Sans sighed and followed. "right, right. can't have the little furry pain-in-the-ass getting hurt."  
  
Once upstairs, you struggled to get Cleo in her carrier. She absolutely did NOT want to go in there. "Come on, Cleo!" You tried to pry her paws off the door without letting her wiggle free.  
  
You heard Sans grumble, "we don't have time for this," as he left the room. He returned a minute later with one of his shirts. "here." He waved the shirt in front of Cleo's face, then shoved it in the carrier. Cleo stretched her head cautiously into the carrier to sniff the shirt, but it was enough to let you push her the rest of the way in and shut the door.  
  
"Finally!" you sighed in relief, then turned to Sans. "I don't know why she's so obsessed with you, but at least it's got its uses."  
  
Sans smirked. "must be my **animal magnetism.** " He then cocked his head towards the door. "now, let's get out of here."  
  
You followed Sans out of the house onto the dark street. You stiffened as you saw other shapes moving in the darkness.  
  
"it's okay." Sans reassured you. "it's just our neighbors. i went to a couple other houses first and recruited them to help gather up the rest of the neighborhood quickly."  
  
You nodded in understanding. "Okay." You followed Sans to a few more houses, rousing the residents and gradually increasing the size of your group. Finally, with everyone gathered, Sans pulled out a hand radio.  
  
"alright, alph. i've got everyone gathered up. which route are we taking?" he spoke into it.  
  
The murmurs of the gathered group died off as everyone strained to hear the response.  
  
"It looks like the rioters on that side of town have ventured into the residential neighborhoods, thankfully ones we've already evacuated. However, if you cut through the park and head down 8th street, you should be able to sneak past them. Be careful, though! There may be stragglers still there looting!" came Alphys' response.  
  
"we will. thanks, alph." Sans replied, then put the radio away. "okay, let's move out, and keep quiet."  
  
The group followed after Sans as he lead the way through the darkness. Everyone remained deathly quiet as you cautiously made your way through the dark, empty streets. You managed to reach the park without incident, and you gasped as you laid eyes upon it. The park was a mess. The playground equipment was all twisted and bent, and both Arctos' rental shack and some of the surrounding trees were burning. In the light from the fire you could make out destroyed flower patches, large troughs gouged out as if someone had been using a car to do donuts through the field. Trash cans were knocked over and litter was everywhere, especially in the water.  
  
It seemed, however, that the rioters had grown bored of destroying the park and moved on, as there wasn't a soul in sight. To be safe, however, your group stuck to the wooded areas, having to go around the outskirts of the park to avoid the part that was on fire.  
  
Once past the park, the group emerged back onto the streets. This part of town, too, was mostly dark, with only the occasional fire illuminating it.  
  
"Why are all the lights out?" whispered an anxious whimsun.  
  
"with the fire crews struggling to get in to deal with the fires, they had to cut the power to the whole district to try and keep them from spreading too quickly." Sans answered, his voice low and quiet as he kept an eye out for anything dangerous.  
  
The group continued cautiously forward. Trash, graffiti, and broken glass from smashed windows littered the streets. It was a terrible thing to witness, and you were actually grateful for the stretches of road where it was too dark for you to see.  
  
You turned a corner and came to a stop. This entire street was completely lit up. Not by electrical lights, but by the brightly burning building about halfway up the street. Sans lead the group quickly and quietly down the street, but it wasn't until you were nearly past the burning building that you recognized it. The partially-burned sign read 'ffet's Bakery' and you stopped to gape at the flames ravaging the cozy little diner. A chill ran down your spine as you realized that this was the only building on the street they'd set aflame, and it appeared they'd gone out of their way to make sure it was thoroughly destroyed. You thought of the humans Muffet had bragged about driving off, and wondered if they'd come back better prepared this time. You then wondered if Muffet and her spiders had gotten a chance to flee before it happened, and your gut twisted.  
  
You were pulled out of your reverie as a wolf monster nudged you, then cocked his head towards the others once he had your attention. You didn't trust yourself to speak, so you just nodded. You were about to move on when something contrasting with the brightness of the flames caught your attention. You turned to focus on it and realized there was a spider dangling down from a tree near the bakery, the tree smoldering as its upper branches burned, and embers from burning debris below.  
  
"W-wait, just a second." You put down Cleo's carrier and rushed over to the spider, careful not to touch anything that was still burning, and bracing yourself against the heat of the burning building. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but... As you reached it, you held your hand out under it and carefully scooped the spider from its precarious position. "Are you one of Muffet's spiders?" you asked it. It turned to face you and waved a single leg in acknowledgement. "Come on, let's get you out of here." You headed back to where the wolf monster and Cleo were waiting, the rest of the group a bit up ahead, just out of the bright light of the fire. Your skin still crawled at the thought, but after repressing a shudder, you transferred the spider to your shoulder and hoisted Cleo's carrier back up so you could catch up with the others.  
  
The group continued on, street after street.  
  
"Sans! Come in, Sans!" Alphys voice came over the radio. Despite the low volume, it felt painfully loud in the quiet of the night.  
  
Sans stopped and answered it. "what is it, alphys?"  
  
"You need to turn back! There's rioters headed your way!" she warned.  
  
"shit." Sans cursed.  
  
"Go back to the last intersection and head three blocks west, then turn north along Pleasant street." She instructed.  
  
Your group immediately turned around and headed off as instructed at a quick pace. Pleasant street was another residential neighborhood. It was dark and quiet now, but had clearly been looted, if the broken doors and smashed cars were any indication. You turned your flashlight and read the graffiti on one of the houses as you passed by. It said 'NO MERCY'.  
  
You stumbled, nearly tripping over something in the dark, letting out a brief curse and getting a hiss of irritation from Cleo at being jostled. You turned your flashlight to see what you'd tripped over. There, in the middle of the sidewalk, was a pile of sand. No... not sand... Your thoughts turned to ancient memories... too many memories... of monsters crying out one last time and turning to dust.  
  
"-come on, snap out of it!" Sans grabbed your face and turned it away from the pile of dust illuminated by your shaking flashlight. You became aware that you were trembling and hyperventilating. "here, focus on me and take deep breaths. in." He breathed in deeply, coaching you to do the same. "and out." you let out a shaky breath. You repeated this a couple more times before you were steady once more.  
  
You picked up Cleo's carrier, having been unaware that you'd dropped it in the first place. She growled and hissed her displeasure, and you could do nothing but cradle the carrier close to you and softly apologize over and over. You became aware of the terrified whispering of the monsters.  
  
"There's dust everywhere!"  
  
"It's all in front of the houses!"  
  
"Looks like a mass execution..."  
  
"Should we gather their dust?"  
  
"But what if the humans come back?!"  
  
"quiet!" All attention was drawn to Sans as he barked the order, all signs of laziness and humor absent from his face. "there's nothing we can do for these monsters right now. we need to keep moving. and quickly. no good will come of us lingering and getting caught ourselves. now, stay close."  
  
Sans lead the way once again, the group huddled even closer together than before. You desperately tried not to think of the grey dust now clinging to your shoes and pants.  
  
Your group was rerouted two more times, sometimes coming so close to groups of rioters that you could hear their shouts and see the lights they carried as they rampaged just a single street over. Finally, the embassy came within sight. The final stretch.  
  
"Be careful. The rioters are all over, and have been testing the embassy's defenses all night." Alphys warned.  
  
Your group crept forward, everyone on high alert. You were about a block's distance away when you were spotted.  
  
"Hey! There's monsters over here!"  
  
"run!" Sans commanded as more of the rioters appeared, quickly heading towards your group.  
  
You didn't need to be told twice and began running as fast as you could towards the embassy. You could hear them gaining on you.  
  
Close.  
  
Closer.  
  
Yet Closer.  
  
One of them grabbed your arm nearly causing you to fall as you were forcefully whipped around. You had enough time to take in his triumphant expression before it was wiped off his face as a bone struck him in the head, freeing you from his grasp. A wave of bones soon followed, forcing the rioters back a bit. You turned your head and saw Sans, left eye glowing and hand outstretched as he focused his magic.  
  
"move!" He shouted at you, snapping you out of your brief daze.  
  
You darted past Sans, and he was quick to follow, guarding the rear, occasionally putting up a wall of bones to slow your pursuers. The fully armored guards, a rabbit and a dragon, stood ready at the gate to the embassy.  
  
"Like... this way!" called the bunny guard, motioning the two of you in.  
  
"..." The dragon guard launched a magical attack behind you and Sans as you darted through the gate.  
  
You and Sans quickly made your way through the garden at the front of the embassy and inside. The two of you were barely through the door when your ears were assaulted by a loud, but comfortingly familiar, voice.  
  
"_____! SANS! THANK GOODNESS YOU'RE ALRIGHT!" You and Sans were both scooped up into a crushing hug, with you barely managing to hold onto Cleo's carrier.  
  
"Papyrus!" You wheezed out. Realizing how tightly he was holding the two of you, he carefully put you back on the floor. "You're okay!" You were utterly relieved. His battle body was scuffed and dirty, but Papyrus seemed to be unhurt.  
  
"YES. THINGS GOT A BIT... TRICKY... BUT IT WAS NOTHING I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, CANNOT HANDLE!" he smiled reassuringly at you. "I WANTED TO COME HOME AND GET YOU WHEN I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE EVACUATIONS, BUT UNDYNE TOLD ME I WAS BETTER SUITED HELPING GUARD THE EMBASSY, AND THAT SHE WAS SENDING SANS TO GET YOU. I WAS VERY WORRIED, BUT ALPHYS KEPT ME UP-TO-DATE ON YOUR PROGRESS!" Papyrus was smiling, but you could see the barely concealed stress and worry on his face.  
  
"Yo, nerds!" You turned to see Undyne entering the entrance hall. "Glad to see you made it in one piece."  
  
"how'd the other evacuations go?" Sans asked.  
  
"Good, for the most part. Everyone's back now that you're here, so we've got most of the monsters in Monstertown settling in."  
  
"uh, about that. i need to talk to you and the king." Sans briefly glanced at your shoes. "privately."  
  
Undyne picked up on Sans' seriousness. "Alright. Come with me and you can give your report, but after that I want you to get some food and rest. You look like you need it."  
  
Sans gave her a tired smile. "heh. guess i'm just not used to being **worked down to the bone.** "  
  
Papyrus groaned, and Undyne turned to him. "In the meantime, why don't you help get _____ settled, and get a bit of rest yourself."  
  
Papyrus saluted. "YES, CAPTAIN UNDYNE!"  
  
Undyne gave Papyrus a fond smile before turning back to Sans and cocking her head to indicate that he should follow. You watched the two leave the room before turning back to Papyrus.  
  
"COME THIS WAY! I'M SURE THE OTHERS ARE ANXIOUS TO SEE THAT YOU MADE IT HERE SAFELY."  
  
You followed Papyrus down a hallway to a large open room. Spread throughout the room on every available surface were tons of monsters. Some, mostly the children, were curled up in blankets on the floor asleep, while others were either helping distribute supplies, or just trying to stay out of the way. You spotted Frisk handing a monster a blanket, and when they turned around, they let out a squeal as they saw you. Within moments they had darted down the narrow aisles and tackled you, their arms around your waist in a hug.  
  
"Hey, Frisk. I'm glad to see you're okay, too." You smiled down at them, returning the hug as best you could. "What are you doing up so late?"  
  
'I'm helping hand out blankets and bringing food and water to the evacuated monsters.' Frisk signed after releasing you from the hug. 'I'm glad you're safe! I was very worried!'  
  
"THERE IS NO NEED TO BE WORRIED, NOW, THOUGH! WITH THE ENTIRE ROYAL GUARD ON DUTY, EVERYONE HERE IS SAFE." Papyrus puffed out his chest proudly.  
  
Frisk smiled at him. 'Thanks, Papyrus!' Frisk then noticed the carrier and peeked inside at Cleo. 'She looks scared.' Frisk frowned.  
  
"Ah, yeah. Cleo has always been nervous about strangers and strange places. I'm sure the whole situation will have her on edge until we can go home."  
  
'We could take her to the infirmary. It's not as crowded, and it's a lot quieter there, so she might be more comfortable.' Frisk suggested.  
  
"That's not a bad idea. She'll have to stay in her carrier, of course, but maybe she'll be able to relax a bit if there's less going on around her."  
  
Frisk motioned to follow them, and so you and Papyrus did. You weaved your way through the aisles between groups of monsters and were lead down another hallway after exiting the room. You noticed several more rooms filled with sleeping monsters before entering another fairly large chamber. Frisk was right that this room was, indeed, less crowded, but the number of monsters laid out with various injuries was still staggering.  
  
There were also several monsters tending to the injured, either by treating their physical ailments like you'd see at a human field hospital, or by plying them with healing magic. Your eyes immediately landed on Toriel, who was leaning over Dogamy, her hands glowing green. Dogaressa sat nearby, whining anxiously, but calmed a bit as Dogamy reached over, grabbed her hand, and gave her a gentle smile.  
  
As your small group approached, the glow disappeared from Toriel's hands, and Dogamy sat up, flexing his arm experimentally before smiling and wagging his tail in satisfaction.  
  
"Thank you, your Majesty." He smiled at her.  
  
"You are welcome, but please try to be more careful next time. There are countless monsters depending on you to maintain your strength and keep those who would harm them at bay." Toriel gently chided.  
  
"(The humans will not catch us unawares again.)" Dogaressa growled, gripping her axe at the very thought of the humans who had hurt her precious Dogamy.  
  
"The two of you should get something to eat and rest up for now." Toriel instructed as the two stood to leave.  
  
"Yes, your Majesty."  
  
"(We will conserve our strength.)"  
  
The two acknowledged your group as they walked past and out of the room. This brought Toriel's attention to you.  
  
"Ah! I am glad to see you safe and sound, _____." Toriel looked relieved and tired.  
  
"Thanks." You returned her weary smile.  
  
'Is there someplace we can leave Cleo's carrier? She's scared, so I thought being somewhere quiet like this would help.' Frisk signed at Toriel, before gesturing to the carrier.  
  
Toriel glanced at your nervous cat before smiling at Frisk. "Of course, my child. That was very kind of you to seek out someplace quiet for her. Come, you can set her down over here."  
  
You followed Toriel to the far end of the room where there was a curtained off area. It was mostly empty here, and you had no trouble finding a nice secluded spot to set Cleo down. Away from the crowds, it didn't take long for Cleo to begin calming down. She even shifted closer to the carrier's door to let Frisk scratch behind her ears, just the way she liked.  
  
"IT SEEMS EVEN CLEO CANNOT RESIST YOUR CHARMS, FRISK!"  
  
Toriel smiled at that, but then addressed the group. "If you'll excuse me, I must return to tending the injured." She excused herself and returned to the main part of the infirmary.  
  
You felt something tickle your neck and nearly raised your hand to swat at it before remembering your 8-legged passenger. Instead, you shuddered a bit and raised your hand up, allowing the spider to crawl onto it. Once you could see her properly, the spider gestured with a leg further along the curtained off area. You turned your head and saw why. "Ah! Muffet!" you exclaimed.  
  
Muffet tilted her head upon hearing her name, but you noticed that several of her eyes remained focused on the injured monster she was tending to, and her arms didn't even pause as they splinted the monster's broken leg using spider silk. "Oh? It's you again." She acknowledged.  
  
You made your way over to her and nervously held out your hand with the spider. "Here."  
  
Muffet's actions paused as all her eyes came to focus on your palm, and the spider within it. "Ah! That's one of my dear little spiders! I thought you'd perished in the fire like so many others!" she exclaimed, gratefully taking the spider from you. She stared intently at the spider for a moment before speaking up again. "The human saved you and brought you here to safety?" She turned her gaze to you. "Thank you. I know you fear us spiders, but I am grateful that you carried my little deary here to me despite it. You are very kind, for a human."  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH. I TOLD YOU _____ WAS A GOOD PERSON!" Papyrus beamed proudly.  
  
You couldn't help but blush at Papyrus' praise. "You're welcome."  
  
Papyrus continued to smile. "WE SHOULD GO SEE DOCTOR ALPHYS. I'M SURE SHE'S ALSO EAGER TO SEE YOU."  
  
You nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I'm kind of curious about how she was able to guide us from here, as well."  
  
"Feel free to seek me out if you need anything at all. We spiders always repay our debts." Muffet smiled at you.  
  
"You don't owe me anything, Muffet. But thank you for the offer."  
  
With that, you, Papyrus, and Frisk exited the infirmary and headed to a different part of the embassy. You soon entered a room filled with various computers and machines, and an entire wall of monitors. Seated before the monitors was Alphys, tapping away at a keyboard.  
  
"Alphys!" you cried out upon spotting her, causing her to jump.  
  
Alphys spun around in her chair to face you, and her startled face immediately faded into happiness and relief. "_____! Thank goodness!" She stood and immediately went to hug you, stopping awkwardly halfway as she second-guessed herself. You, however, had no such issues and immediately hugged your shy friend.  
  
"It was a nerve-wracking trip, but we all got here safely, thanks to you."  
  
Alphys blushed brightly, embarrassed by the compliment. "I-It was no big deal..." she murmured.  
  
"How did you know where the rioters were, anyway?" You asked.  
  
Alphys perked up. "Oh! I actually cobbled together a more generalized version of the Soul Tracker!" Her face crinkled with displeasure. "It's actually really buggy, and has a number of issues, but given the situation I had to make do."  
  
"WHAT KIND OF ISSUES?"  
  
"Well, for one, it's not always accurate with tracking souls. Large groups are easy enough, but tracking individual souls that break away from the groups is proving difficult, if not impossible. If I turn up the sensitivity of the program to track them, then it starts picking up on the souls of every dog, cat, and mouse in the area as well. Then the map just becomes a mess of souls, and impossible to decipher because it also can't distinguish between different types. Monster, human, animal... they all look alike if it's not properly attuned. And, of course, if I can't even determine something like that, then finer details are impossible." Alphys lamented.  
  
'It may not be perfect, but it has helped a lot of monsters get here safely.' Frisk signed.  
  
"W-well, there were a few altercations with the rioters I wasn't able to track..." Alphys hemmed.  
  
"Better to face a couple stray individuals than blunder blindly into an entire group of them." You pointed out.  
  
"THEY'RE RIGHT! WITHOUT YOUR HELP, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A LOT MORE FIGHTS!"  
  
Alphys smiled. "I suppose you're right..." She turned her head back to the monitors. "Oh! But I really need to get back to work! I need to keep an eye on these security cameras around the embassy so I can warn the King if there's any trouble."  
  
"Would you like some help?" You offered.  
  
"Oh, yes please! I made a monitoring program that's suppose to warn me if there's any trouble on any of the screens, but it's still a prototype, and completely untested as well..."  
  
"THEN IT'S SETTLED! WE WILL HELP YOU KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR TROUBLE!"  
  
"No offense, Paps, but didn't Undyne tell you to get some rest?" You pointed out.  
  
"NYEH..." Papyrus deflated a bit. "IT DOES NOT FEEL RIGHT TO BE NAPPING IN THIS SITUATION..."  
  
"Hey, you've been working hard all night, Paps. Besides, we're going to need you at the top of your game in case something DOES happen, and that means you need to be well rested!" You soothed him.  
  
"She's right. It's really for the good of everyone here if you're rested and ready to go." Alphys agreed.  
  
"WELL, WHEN YOU PUT IT THAT WAY, I SUPPOSE I SHOULD...BUT... CAN I STAY HERE?" Papyrus looked at the both of you hopefully.  
  
"Sure! Um... It may not be the most comfortable place to sleep, but there's some floor space over there where you should be able to stretch out." Alphys gestured to the side of the room.  
  
'I'll bring you some blankets and food!' Frisk signed, eager to help, too.  
  
"THANK YOU, FRISK! WE CAN BRING BACK FOOD FOR EVERYONE. I'LL HELP YOU CARRY IT." Papyrus agreed, and then followed Frisk back out of the room.  
  
"So, what am I looking at here?" You asked, glancing at the monitors.  
  
Alphys slid an extra chair over to you and began to explain. "These cameras are inside the embassy, but hopefully we won't need to worry about those. These ones over here..." She pointed, "are the ones outside the embassy building, but still on the embassy grounds, and these ones..." She pointed to a third set, "are the ones stationed along the wall that surrounds the embassy. Those ones will be our first line of defense, and we need to keep an eye out for any rioters who may try to break through."  
  
You nodded and settled down to watch the cameras.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
It was a few hours later, and you were munching idly on some popato chisps, not because you were hungry, but because you were bored out of your mind and needed to do something to keep yourself awake.  
  
"Remind me to buy a gift for the security personnel at work after this, because anyone who willingly endures this job every day deserves a freaking medal." You grumbled to Alphys, causing her to giggle.  
  
"That's why I'm working on that security program. It's a wonder that any problems are ever prevented with systems like these."  
  
You nodded, then glanced over to the side of the room. Papyrus was snoozing soundly, with Frisk cuddled up in his arms. It was pretty adorable, actually. You smiled softly at the two of them.  
  
Alphys noticed your distracted gaze, and gave you a soft smile. "So, how's your relationship with Papyrus going?"  
  
"It's going really well. Well, now that he's not getting dating advice from the internet." You chuckled.  
  
"...It would probably be going even better if Undyne hadn't had to call him earlier..." Alphys murmured, a blush gracing her features.  
  
You thought of what Undyne had interrupted and began to blush furiously. "I shouldn't be so surprised that she told you about that..."  
  
Alphys' blush deepened. "S-sorry..."  
  
"It's alright... It's probably for the best that she interrupted when she did. I'm pretty sure neither of us meant to take it that far, anyway..." You admitted quietly.  
  
Alphys nodded in understanding, then returned her attention back to the monitors. One had the news playing, muted with subtitles. "It looks like the human police are having a really tough time quelling the riot... They're saying something about calling in the national guard."  
  
"Given how long this has been going on, I'm not surprised." You glanced at the modified Soul Tracker. "Where's that group going?"  
  
Alphys looked to where you were pointing and, sure enough, a moderate sized group had broken off from the main riots and was making its way through back streets towards the side of the embassy, probably in an attempt to not be detected. "I should warn the guards..." Alphys picked up the hand radio. "Undyne? Come in Undyne."  
  
"What is it, Alphy?" Undyne responded a moment later.  
  
"We've got a splinter group heading around to the eastern wall. I'm not sure exactly how large, but for a reading this size, I'd say around a dozen or two. Possibly more. They should be there in about five minutes."  
  
"Thanks for the warning Alphy. I'll dispatch some guards to scare 'em off and update the King." Undyne replied.  
  
The two of you continued to watch the indistinct mass of hearts move along the streets towards the embassy, until they suddenly stopped a way's back from the wall. "What are they doing?" You wondered out loud. There was no entrance on the eastern side of the embassy, and the security wall was tall and sturdy, with spikes at the top. The rioters would do more damage to themselves than anything else if they tried to scale it. Although, even that would be impossible from the distance they were at.  
  
Alphys glanced up and paled. "Oh no... No no no no no!" She grabbed up the radio. "All guards away from the eastern wall! I repeat! All guards away from the eastern wall!"  
  
You scanned the monitors until you caught movement, specifically, someone rushing away from the eastern wall. They hadn't been on the modified Soul Tracker at all! Left behind were several large backpacks. You barely had time to process this before several explosions rocked the embassy, and the camera at the wall went dark. You desperately looked through the other cameras before finding one that was monitoring the eastern garden. You saw several guards splayed out on the ground, knocked back by the blast, but still alive. The garden was littered with debris from the destroyed wall, and the air was thick with dirt from the explosions. Moments later, chaos erupted as the group of rioters surged through the opening and were met by the guards responding to the blasts.  
  
"WHAT'S GOING ON?" Papyrus spoke up, fully alert and holding a frightened looking Frisk.  
  
"There's been a breach of the eastern wall. The rioters are inside the garden." Alphys told him as she was already adjusting her radio to inform the King.  
  
"I NEED TO GET OUT THERE!" Papyrus stood, handing Frisk off to you.  
  
"Papyrus!" You called out before he could rush out the door. He looked back at you and you hesitated. You wanted to tell him not to go, but you already knew he wouldn't listen. He wouldn't abandon his friends like that, and he wouldn't stay back if there was even the slightest chance that his participation would prevent the rioters from reaching you or the other monsters. You swallowed the lump in your throat. "Be careful..."  
  
"I WILL." Papyrus nodded, then rushed down the hallway.  
  
You tore your eyes from the doorway only when you felt a tug at your sleeve. You looked down at Frisk.  
  
'Don't be afraid. Papyrus is very strong. And if anyone sneaks past them, I'll protect you.' Frisk signed, a look of determination on their face.  
  
You gave them a shaky, but appreciative, smile. "Thanks, Frisk."  
  
You turned back to the monitors and watched as more and more guards and rioters joined in the battle. It looked like Alphys' initial assessment of one or two dozen rioters had been off. Way off. There were at least 50 fighting now, and more were trickling in through the broken wall. The modified Soul Tracker, meanwhile, was only picking up the occasional blip of soul activity for the people making their way inside. It looked like they'd figured out that Alphys was unable to see them if they were in smaller groups, and they used that to their advantage when launching this attack.  
  
Almost the entire Royal Guard was out there now, with only a few left to watch the main entrance or the building's doors. You were worried that they'd be overwhelmed until other able-bodied monsters went to help. Even Asgore, Toriel, and Gerson were in the thick of it. Many of the rioters targeted Asgore specifically, but it appeared that they underestimated the power of a boss monster, and he was holding his own. Gerson, too, was showing that, despite his age, he was still more than a match for a few humans, his hammer taking out anyone who got too close, and his earth magic hitting them when they were out of melee range.  
  
Minutes ticked by like hours as the monsters fought to keep the rioters out of the embassy. So far, none had been able to get close enough to seal off the wall. You felt so utterly helpless. Here you were with powerful defensive magic at your disposal, and you could do nothing but sit here in the security room and watch. The worst part about it? It didn't take much to convince you to stay hidden in here. You could be out there right now, showing monsters that you and your powers weren't something to be feared. Showing them that you were a good person... someone who saw monsters as friends and wanted to protect them. Instead, you were here, helpless and afraid of what might happen to you if the world knew what you were... You were once again putting your own safety before that of your friends, and as much as you hated yourself for it, you couldn't muster the determination and courage to go out there and do anything about it. You truly were as despicable as Moira...  
  
Alphys gasped and you whipped your head around to see what had caught her attention.  
  
"G-Gerson!" she stuttered, and you follower her trembling gaze to a camera focused closer to the northern part of the embassy. There was a crowd of rioters there, and it took you a moment to realize what was going on. They had Gerson pinned on his back, pulled into his shell as best he could as they whaled on him. He'd been separated from the other monsters, and try as they might, they couldn't get to him without exposing themselves to attack.  
  
You trembled with fear and horror, clutching Frisk closely as you watched your old friend being viciously assaulted. He had incredible defense, but there was no way he could withstand such a concentrated attack forever. Eventually, it would become too much for him. And then...  
  
He would die.  
  
And you would witness it all, safely hidden behind a camera.  
  
Bile rose up in your throat.  
  
And you dared to call him a friend? After all you'd done? After what you were doing right NOW?  
  
Your heart began to pound harder in your chest and you felt adrenaline pumping through your veins. Your eyes hardened at the scene playing out on the screen. You felt Frisk shift in your lap and locked eyes with them as they looked up at you. Their eyes, too, were hard and serious.  
  
Your burgeoning resolve filled them with Determination.  
  
'Go. I will protect Alphys.' Frisk signed to you.  
  
You nodded silently, putting Frisk down in your chair after standing.  
  
"W-where are you going?!" Alphys yelped as you quickly made your way towards the door.  
  
You paused only briefly. "To save a friend." And then you were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a night filled with hatred and murder. The Monster Embassy stands as the last bastion of defense; the last wall between monsters and oblivion. The time has come for Reader to step forward and FIGHT, but will it be enough?
> 
> So, being the huge nerd I am, I took last week off to play the new World of Warcraft expansion. I'm really enjoying it so far! I was a bit doubtful over whether I'd get any writing done, but I actually did. In fact, I got the story to a really important point, and I've been kind of obsessing over it all week. Seriously, I think I've edited and tweaked the same scene almost every night this week. (because, you know. I'll think I have it perfect, the realize there's some way to improve it, or a glaring plot hole that needs fixing.) So, I haven't gotten a TON of writing done this week, but what I do have is some good stuff. ^^


	41. A Matter of Perspective

You were barreling down the hallways as quickly as you could. You didn't know how much time you had. Your shoes skidded across the polished floor as you whipped around a corner, nearly crashing into Muffet.  
  
"_____! Where are you going in such a hurry??" She asked.  
  
"I have to get outside!" you quickly sidestepped around her, but didn't get far as she grabbed your arm.  
  
"Don't be foolish! I only need one of my eyes to see that you're no fighter." she chastised, although her voice was quiet and sympathetic.  
  
"Let. Go." You growled out, staring Muffet down.  
  
Muffet returned the stare, the moment feeling long and drawn out before she relented with a strained laugh. "I haven't seen a human so determined since darling little Frisk wandered through my parlor... Very well. But you're not going alone. As I said, us spiders always repay our debts." she smiled at you.  
  
"You're coming?" you asked, a bit surprised.  
  
Muffet frowned a bit. "Unfortunately not. Queen Toriel left me in charge of guarding the injured, so I cannot leave." Her smile then returned, wide and terrifying. "However, I do believe my dear pet, Muffin, would benefit from going outside to play... Ahuhuhuhuhu!"  
  
Muffet then let out some sort of clicking sound, and out of a nearby room bounded a large, terrifying creature. It was spider-like with multiple legs protruding from its muffin-shaped body, and massive, jagged jaws that took up most of its head. It screeched and chittered happily as it skittered up to Muffet, letting out an odd croon when she patted its head.  
  
"Now, listen, Muffin. You get to go outside to play! However, I want you to protect _____, here, and do as she says. Do you understand, sweetie?" She cooed lovingly at her monstrous pet. Muffin chittered in understanding, then turned to you eagerly. "There we go. Muffin will ensure your safety. Be careful out there, dearie."  
  
"Thank you, Muffet." You smiled in relief. "Come on, Muffin." You gestured for Muffin to follow you and resumed your desperate journey outside.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"We must get to Gerson!" Asgore grunted, knocking back another rioter. "I do not know how much longer my old friend can hold out."  
  
Undyne snarled beside him, unleashing a volley of spears, which cleared a path, but only for a moment before the rioters once more got in the way. "There's too many, damn it!" She used her green magic to lock several of her attackers in place, then used the opening to knock one out with a well-placed punch to the head.  
  
Things were even more difficult since they were trying to stop the rioters non-lethally. Monsters were still in a terrible position politically. While there were no laws protecting them, there were laws protecting humans, and Asgore worried what persecution and propaganda would arise if a monster killed a human, even in self-defense. Asgore had immediately called the human authorities, but they were so caught up with the main group of rioters they could not pull away to lend them aid. The only other humans here were the news crews flying overhead in their helicopters, spotlights shining down on the battle.  
  
Something caught Undyne's attention and she looked past the combatants and Gerson to the edge of the building. Peeking around the corner, she saw you. "God damn, stupid fool!" She cursed.  
  
You peeked around the corner, towards where the battle was, and your eyes immediately landed on the group attacking Gerson. "Alright, Muffin. Ready to play?" Muffin chittered eagerly, bobbing up and down on her legs. "Alright, girl. See that group clustered around Gerson? Drive 'em off!" You pointed at the group.  
  
Muffin chirped her understanding, then, with a terrible roar that clawed at your nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard, she charged forward, maw gaping. That got their attention, and the sight of the giant, spider-like Muffin charging at them with jagged, screeching jaws was enough to scatter the rioters, Muffin snapping eagerly at their heels.  
  
You rushed in behind her over to Gerson. "Gerson! Are you alright?!"  
  
Gerson peaked his head out of his shell. "Kid?? What are you doing out here?" He pulled completely out of his shell and began trying to get upright again.  
  
"Saving you. What's it look like?" You gave him a wan smile, grabbing his arm and helping him to his feet.  
  
"Well, honestly, it looks like you're taking Muffet's pet out for a walk. Not sure those rioters appreciated her playful curiosity, though! Wha ha ha ha!" Gerson cackled.  
  
You couldn't help but chuckle along with him. Right here. This moment. It felt like those times from long, long ago. Laughing along with your snarky old friend.  
  
The moment, however, did not last long. The battle had shifted closer as Undyne, Asgore, and a few others fought their way over to you, now that the main group of rioters that had been blocking their path were scared off by Muffin.  
  
"Are the two of you alright?!" Asgore asked, still fighting to keep the rioters at bay.  
  
"Could be worse." Gerson grunted.  
  
"Thanks for saving the old man, but you really shouldn't be out here!" Undyne scolded you, maintaining the line of defense.  
  
"Hah... I couldn't sit back and do nothing..." You responded sheepishly.  
  
"Yeah, well, you've done your part to help, kid. I think it's time we got you back inside to safety." Gerson motioned you towards the building.  
  
You nodded and turned to leave.  
  
***BANG!***  
  
The sound exploded in your ears. The sound of a gunshot. There was a horrible yowl from the armored cat monster next to you as she staggered backwards, collapsing on top of you.  
  
"Shit! RG03!" You heard Undyne shout.  
  
"I got the gun!" Doggo barked a few yards away, having attacked the gunman before he could fire again.  
  
The weight of the cat monster was heavy and you found it hard to breathe. Then, suddenly, with one final yowl of pain, she turned to dust. You coughed and choked as you were covered head-to-toe. It was everywhere. On your face, in your clothes, in your lungs. You shuddered in horror at the realization of what happened.  
  
The sounds of battle clashed all around you.  
  
You'd just watched a monster die.  
  
You were covered in her dust.  
  
Her remains.  
  
It was **EVERYWHERE.**  
  
\------------------------------  
  
_It was everywhere._  
  
_You took in the state of your clothes passively, noting the monster dust that covered you. Such a thing had once horrified you. Now? You were used to it. It was inevitable._  
  
_Five other mages waited nearby. You had only met most of them recently. You hadn't bothered to remember their names. What was the point? You would all either be freed or executed after this, and either way, you planned on never seeing any of them again. Instead, you referred to them by the color of their souls. There was Orange, Purple, Yellow, Blue, and Cyan._  
  
_You briefly wondered where Red was. Probably off manipulating some schmuck with his magic. While the rest of you were barely considered second-class citizens, he had managed to worm his way into the King's grace. From what you observed, he seemed to possess some sort of power of suggestion. Given the amount of magic he possessed, his power was oddly weak. Anyone with a moderate amount of willpower and some awareness of what he was capable of could resist his power easily. However, an old, addled King was a perfect target for him. Weak enough to be easily manipulated with his power, and powerful enough in stature that all others had to bow to him by proxy. Red was twisted, and enjoyed playing puppet master. Even after everything, you shuddered to think what the man would be capable of if he ever figured out how to focus all his magic into his powers._  
  
_"You! Barrier mage!" You turned your head to the approaching General, who was flanked by Red and the crown Prince. "The time is fast approaching for you and the other mages to use your magic to seal those monsters within the mountain. Do NOT forget, the barrier is to allow anything in, but nothing out!" He emphasized._  
  
_"By the King's orders." Red smirked in amusement._  
  
_The Prince made a disgusted noise. "This plan is terrible and foolish."_  
  
_Red did not look pleased. "You dare question the wisdom of your own father, the King?" he accused._  
  
_"I do. His health continues to fail him, and it seems that his mind was the first to go." The Prince stared down Red challengingly. "The very idea of sending a full battalion inside the barrier to finish off the monsters is madness! We'd have no way to tell if they were successful, and thus could not risk bringing down the barrier in case they failed and their souls were powering the monsters. Win or lose, any man who entered there would be on a suicide mission!" The Prince pointed out._  
  
_"I'm afraid it is not our decision to make, your majesty... Your father-" The General was cut off._  
  
_"My father is on his death bed as we speak. By week's end, he will have passed, and then it WILL be my decision, and I promise you that I will not send a single man into that death trap. I will not be responsible for making their wives widows or their children orphans." The Prince spoke vehemently._  
  
_You focused your sight on the Prince and saw his deep blue soul pulsing challengingly. He had always deferred to his father's decisions out of respect, but it was clear that, once he was King, no one would be able to sway him from the path he deemed as righteous. If it was true that the King would pass soon, then perhaps there was hope that the promise made to you about being free after the war would be honored._  
  
_A lightly armored man approached the General and saluted. "Sir! We've nearly driven the remaining monsters into the mountain!"_  
  
_"Good!" The General acknowledged, then turned to you and the other mages. "The time has come to earn your keep, vermin. Into position!" He mounted his nearby horse._  
  
_This was it. The final battle. It was time to use your power to end this once and for all._  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Gerson struggled to lift your limp body from the pile of dust as you continued to tremble and stare unseeingly ahead, your face fixed into an expression of horror as you panted out shuddering breaths.  
  
"Damn it, kid! This is not a good time for a panic attack!" Gerson cursed as he looped his arm under your own to get a better grip on you.  
  
"You need to get her inside, old man! Quickly!" Undyne grunted, driving back another attacker with her spear.  
  
"Yeah, yeah! I'm working on it, whippersnapper! A limp human's a little harder to carry than my hammer!" Gerson snapped back.  
  
Asgore forced the rioters back with a burst of fire and a deep growl.  
  
"Incoming!" Someone deeper in the crowd shouted, and a glint of flame caught their attention, flying through the darkened night.  
  
The group tensed at the sight of the Molotov cocktail flying their way. Before it could land in the group, however, the bottle shattered and its contents burst into flames; flames which slid down a translucent white shield, settling on the trampled garden beds at the bottom.  
  
The monsters gaped at the shield. The flickering flames casting an ominous, dancing light along it. Gerson finally noticed that he was no longer supporting your weight, and there was an odd glow coming from your direction. He turned his gaze towards you. You stood there with one hand extended towards the shield, a light thrum of magic dancing across your skin, and your pendant necklace glowing brilliantly. You were no longer shaking and gasping for breath. You were calm.  
  
**Too calm.**  
  
Gerson's very soul recoiled at the sight of the cold, emotionless look on your face, and he stumbled away from you. "K-kid?" He stuttered, drawing everyone else's attention to you now as well. They, too, came to the same conclusion. Although none could pinpoint exactly why, something felt very **VERY** wrong.  
  
You lowered your hand and the barrier dissipated. Then, without a word, you stepped forward. The monsters moved to the side, unsure of what to do.  
  
Asgore gripped his trident tightly, his fur standing completely on end as he watched you pass by. His every instinct was screaming at him that you were a threat, that he needed to stop you before it was too late. But he hesitated. You were friends with many monsters. You were dating Papyrus. Even Tori spoke well of you. In the time he stood there, waffling on what to do, you had passed by and calmly strode into the continuing battle.  
  
One of the rioters who had seen you help Gerson, spotted you out in the open and charged you, his knife ready to strike. With a wave of your hand, a shield formed and slammed the man into the wall surrounding the embassy with a sickening crack. The man let out a wail and collapsed to the ground, clutching his ribs and gasping between sobs of pain.  
  
This drew the attention of a few others. They began to circle around you as you stood there, then, on the signal of one of them, they attacked together. A barrier formed all around you, stopping the attack in its tracks. Then, with a pulse of magic, your assailants were thrown back, skidding across the ground or slamming into others.  
  
Now you **really** had everyone's attention. Both groups hastily split to either side, an unspoken truce arising in the face of the unknown. You stood placidly listening to the murmurs from either side, and the helicopters circling overhead.  
  
"She can cast magic?!"  
  
"Impossible! She's human! ...Isn't she?"  
  
"Did she make some kind of deal with the monsters?"  
  
"She's a witch?!"  
  
The humans were baffled and disgusted.  
  
"That magic... It was a barrier..."  
  
"She's... she's the one..."  
  
"S-she's been living amongst us for months!"  
  
"Did she use some sort of magic to trick those around her??"  
  
The civilians who hadn't known your secret were shocked and terrified. The guards and your friends, meanwhile, were trying to calm them as best they could.  
  
Your eyes drifted back towards the rioters. They were rallying. Disgust and hatred etched into each of their faces and they glared at you. They were working themselves up to attack you.  
  
_"Good. Let them come."_ you thought confidently, a small smile working its way onto your lips as your eyes narrowed.  
  
After a few tense moments, the first fool charged forward to attack. Not even bothering to turn towards them, you lifted a hand, blocking the attack with a shield. Your small smile grew into a smirk. Emboldened, a few others joined the fray. They, too, were easy to block. More came, attacking your barrier, hoping to bring it down.  
  
_"Pathetic."_ You quickly grew bored of this, and with a sweep of your hand you thrust the shield towards them, slamming them, and any of the rioters who got in the way, into the outer wall. Your smirk grew as they cried out in pain, a couple knocked out as their heads collided with the wall.  
  
"Fuck this!" Someone cursed, and you saw a man make a break for the broken wall.  
  
You turned and threw your hand up, erecting a barrier across the opening. Seeing their escape blocked off, their gaze once again returned to you. "You didn't think escaping was going to be that easy, did you?" you taunted them, your smirk growing into a dark, terrifying smile.  
  
Before they could fully process what you meant, you brought up your other hand and focused your power into the barrier, expanding it and curling it around the rioters. As soon as they realized they were being boxed in, they panicked and darted for the shrinking opening. You let them get close before, with one last push of power, you cut off their only means of escape, completing the barrier. You watched in amusement as they desperately attacked the translucent barrier. It was futile, though. You could feel your magic surging through you like never before. Not in this lifetime, anyway. You were powerful. You were confident. You were unstoppable.  
  
You could feel the stares of the battered, frightened monsters behind you. Their souls were quivering almost as much as the humans' were. That wouldn't do. You were doing this for them, after all. They should be more appreciative. Perhaps a show of altruism would help? Yes, that would surely work. You would offer them a grand gesture of kindness, and protect them from those who meant them harm in one single act. Two birds, one stone.  
  
Or, if Alphys' last estimates were accurate, more like 103 filthy bigots, one impenetrable barrier.  
  
You began to laugh.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Papyrus would have been grateful for the break from fighting if he weren't so concerned. He wasn't sure when you'd come outside, but right now you stood at the center of the garden casually using your magic to hold off the rioters like it was no big deal. That was unlike you. You'd always been wary of the consequences that revealing your magic would have. To be out in the open, practically showing off, was very strange. Your shields were powerful, too. Far more powerful then he could remember them being during training. Had you been holding back? Still, it was dangerous for you to be here, and he wanted to go to you, talk to you, bring you inside where he knew you'd be safe... But something was wrong... His soul was pounding harder than it had been just a few minutes ago in the heat of battle, and he was trembling. His soul clenched and quivered as he watched you slam the rioters violently into the outer wall, the dreadfully amused look on your face growing. No... This was wrong. This was very, VERY wrong...  
  
The murmurs of confusion and fear continued as the monsters watched you imprison the rioters in a barrier. You were the barrier mage they'd been fearing for nearly a year now, but you had just single-handedly stopped the humans that had been trying to kill them. Still, most of them watched you with trepidation. Despite the act, something about it felt like they'd traded one terrible threat for another.  
  
The murmurs died out as you began to speak. "Did you really think you could do something like this and get away with it?" You addressed the rioters. "Did you think that no one would stand up to you? That no one would fight back? That the immoral actions of bigoted politicians meant you could vandalize, destroy, and murder to your heart's content?" You scoffed. "Well, I think you'll find that assumption was wrong." You mocked them. "You are all filthy, disgusting beasts unfit to crawl through the muck, let alone call yourselves 'people'. I know your kind. I've known your kind for **millennia**. Always so quick to judge others, to **condemn** , all for the terrible, **terrible** crime of being different than **you**." You growled. "Your kind are a plague upon this world, because it's filth like you that incites hatred and wars." You accused angrily, before your expression shifted to a forebodingly gleeful look. "But it's alright now. For you see... I'm going to show you just how much pain and suffering you've inflicted on others, and then you're going to have plenty of time to repent for your crimes **in the pits of hell.** "  
  
You lifted your hand once again, a maniacal grin on your face as you began to shrink the barrier. There were cries of terror as they realized what was happening and began pounding against the enclosing barrier with renewed vigor.  
  
"W-what are you doing?! Stop!" Undyne was the first monster to break out of their stunned stupor. She tried to grab your arm to stop you, but was knocked roughly away by a shield.  
  
As Undyne skidded across the ground, others stepped forward. "My child! You must stop this at once! Killing them is not the answer!" Toriel cried out, carefully maintaining enough distance to avoid triggering your defensive retaliation.  
  
"Dammit, kid! Just when you had me convinced that things were different this time..." Gerson cursed.  
  
"_____! You must stop this immediately! Do not follow the same dark path that Moira did!" Asgore pleaded.  
  
You did not grace their pleas with an answer. You grew increasingly tense and angry as they begged you to stop. You could hear the other monsters murmuring to each other. Saying terrible things about you. That you were just as they feared. You were compassionless, bloodthirsty... a murderer. How could you be a murderer if the filth you were about to extinguish weren't people? The barrier began to shrink even faster. The rioters within were beginning to press together now in the rapidly shrinking space. It would not be long before they would start being crushed.  
  
"that's not going to work." Sans spoke up. "her LOVE's too high. she's too disconnected from others for our words to sway her." Eyes locked on him as he stepped forward, his gaze focused on you, filled with regret. "sorry, paps... i hoped... i really did... that maybe... just maybe... with some good food, some bad laughs, and some nice friends, that it wouldn't come to this. but it looks like there's only one way to stop her from murdering all those humans..."  
  
"S-SANS? WHAT ARE YOU-" Before Papyrus could finish questioning his brother, Sans' eye flared to life and he lifted his hand. A blaster formed in the air, it jaws already gaping as energy quickly gathered, and a moment later, it fired.  
  
The barrier stopped shrinking as you were forced to focus on constructing a shield powerful enough to block the blast. The hastily formed shield shuddered under the power of the blast, but held. When the attack ended, the barrier shattered and you locked eyes with Sans, furious. How DARE he attack you! Didn't he know that you were doing this for THEM? You thrust your hand out, trying to slam him with a shield, but he dodged out of the way.  
  
Before you could launch another attack at him, you saw a bright light approaching from the side and created another shield to block it. Asgore's flames pounded furiously at your shield, but it held against the onslaught. The attack ended, and you had to immediately move the shield to block the next attack, this one, a rock blast from Gerson.  
  
"Sorry, _____, but I can't let you do this." Undyne spoke solemnly, before summoning her lightning spears and launching them at you.  
  
The monsters, your former friends, began to attack in unison. It took all your focus to block their attacks, and while you didn't need to concentrate to maintain the barrier trapping the rioters, you were also unable to finish what you'd started while enduring this assault.  
  
Papyrus stood, frozen in grief and horror as he watched his friends attack you. And you... he had never seen you like this. You were completely enraged. The other guards began to add their own attacks into the mix... And then the civilians. Soon, you weren't blocking individual attacks, but rather had encased yourself in a barrier which you maintained against the onslaught. There was a pulse of energy from the shield, and suddenly everyone's attacks were rebounded back at them, forcing them to either dodge or endure the attack, and giving you an opening. Your barrier dropped and you slammed the monsters into the embassy wall with a large shield. Papyrus barely managed to brace himself as he was caught up in the attack. Thankfully, his battle body protected him from the worst of the damage. The others, however, already worn down from fighting with the rioters, and then you, were the worse for wear.  
  
The only one who managed to escape the attack was Sans. His shortcut brought him behind you, between you and the barrier of rioters. He used your distraction to quickly summon a blaster. This was it. All he needed was one good shot.  
  
You whipped around, immediately forming a barrier as the cyan glow of magic appeared behind you. You focused your energy on quickly engulfing Sans and his blaster, forcing him to cut the attack short or risk the rebound incinerating him. Sans tried to take a shortcut out of the barrier, but found that he couldn't. Just like the one underground, there was no escape. His eyes widened as you lifted your arm and both the barrier with the rioters, and the one around himself, began to shrink once again.  
  
"BROTHER!" There was movement to your left and you instinctively threw out a shield to slam into whoever had decided it was wise to approach you. The attack, however, was dodged, and they darted past you to the shield containing Sans.  
  
Papyrus placed a trembling hand on the shrinking barrier that contained his brother. They locked eyes, both wide and terrified. This wasn't possible. This couldn't be happening. Papyrus turned to you and found you watching with cold, angry eyes.  
  
"_____... WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO HURT EVERYONE?" Papyrus' eye sockets were glistening with tears, his face fearful and uncomprehending.  
  
To everyone's surprise, you responded. "Because it's what they deserve."  
  
"WHAT THEY DESERVE? WHY?"  
  
"This filth has been plaguing Monstertown for months. Vandalizing property, attacking monsters, driving everyone from their homes! And for what? Some foolish fear of something they never even bothered to try and understand? They came here to kill everyone! To kill YOU. And if they leave here alive, it's only a matter of time before they try again." You explained. "And then, when I do everyone a favor by trying to eliminate them so it can't happen again, what do I get for my kindness? Protests, insults, and attacked! Why can't you understand that the world would be a better place without them?!"  
  
Papyrus was quiet for a moment, considering your heated words before he spoke. "... BECAUSE WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES, _____. SOME MISTAKES ARE FAR WORSE THAN OTHERS, BUT JUST AS I KNEW YOU COULD BE A GREAT PERSON, I KNOW ALL HUMANS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE GREAT PEOPLE, AS WELL. WE JUST HAVE TO BELIEVE IN THEM AND GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES, JUST AS YOU'VE LEARNED FROM YOURS. SO PLEASE... PLEASE STOP. I KNOW THIS ISN'T YOU. I KNOW YOU'RE BETTER THAN THIS..." Papyrus offered you a shaky smile and extended his arms as if waiting for a hug. You could hear his bones rattling even over the sounds of the helicopters.  
  
You were angry. Betrayed. He did not understand what filth like this was capable of. However, something about this situation was different. The others had turned on you, and you had felt angry, but that was all. This, though... Papyrus' betrayal... it HURT. A part of you urged you to teach him a lesson, just as you had the others. However, the thought was immediately buried under pain and disgust at the idea.  
  
You stared at him as he trembled and waited. He was smiling, but you could see the fear clearly in his eyes and feel it in the quivering of his soul. It wasn't the first time you'd seen him afraid, but somehow, it felt different. It suddenly occurred to you that you'd only ever seen him afraid for the safety of others. Here, he was afraid for himself. He was afraid of YOU.  
  
You felt a flash of anger. He dared insult you by thinking you would even consider attacking him?! Did your relationship mean nothing?! ... _"But isn't that what I just did?"_ The voice in the back of your mind pointed out. _"Didn't I just consider attacking him to 'teach him a lesson'?"_  
  
Your eyes widened at the realization, and suddenly everything snapped back into focus. Your anger disappeared and was replaced with the crushing weight of everything you had just done. You had just outed yourself as the barrier mage, and you had done so by attacking your own friends and trying to murder over a hundred people. You had also tried to kill Sans, and had even made Papyrus fear you. Your head pounded relentlessly and you felt weak and nauseous. The immense power you had felt before, much like the light emanating from your pendant, was gone, and with it, your ability to maintain the barriers. They trembled briefly before shattering. You collapsed to your knees under the weight of your guilt and horror. You trembled, feeling like at any moment you would shatter, just as your barriers had.  
  
Papyrus' head whipped to the side as the barriers around Sans and the rioters shattered. "SANS!" His soul swelled with hope. He turned his head back to you just in time to see you collapse, an unfocussed, stricken look on your face. The feeling of dread he had felt since the moment he saw you on the battlefield was gone. It was quickly replaced with worry, and he rushed to you.  
  
You flinched hard at Papyrus' approach, wrapping your arms around your middle and curling in on yourself. Papyrus, however, did not let that deter him, and wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into his lap. He held you close and murmured soothing sounds as you began to cry.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
It had been hours since Papyrus had carried you to this secluded room within the embassy, and he hadn't left your side for even a moment. Heck, he hadn't let you out of his arms. He felt like, if he let go of you even for a moment, he might lose you forever. So, he held your blanketed form close, doing his best to soothe you.  
  
No one had protested this. Not really. Although Papyrus knew it was mostly because he'd been the only one able to reach you during your rampage, and they were hoping his presence would prevent another.  
  
Sans, too, hadn't left the room. He sat in a nearby chair, his intense, unwavering stare focused on you. All signs of the sleepy, lazy jokester were gone, replaced by the intense, protective brother.  
  
With neither skeleton willing to leave the room, that meant any news or discussions shared with them had to be done in front of you. You learned that many of the rioters had taken the opportunity to flee after you'd regained your senses. Others, mostly the injured, surrendered and were currently imprisoned and being treated. The National Guard had finally arrived, and the rioters that still roamed the streets were being rounded up, although there were still fires raging across the district that were being dealt with.  
  
You curled further into Papyrus' embrace as Asgore, Undyne, and Alphys entered the room. The already strained atmosphere intensified in the ensuing quiet before Asgore spoke.  
  
"Sans..." He rumbled, voice low. "Would you step outside for a moment please? I need to speak with you."  
  
"i'm not going anywhere." Sans responded, gaze never leaving you.  
  
Asgore hesitated. "I have things I'd like to ask you that I'd rather not ask in... present company..." His gaze flickered briefly to you.  
  
"then i guess you're out of luck, 'cause i'm not leaving."  
  
Asgore fidgeted, a look of consternation on his face at the blunt refusal. He debated on what to do for a few moments, before deciding that, for the safety of everyone involved, he could not wait until Sans felt secure enough to leave his brother alone with you. "Very well then..." He paused, trying to pick his words carefully. "I am trying to understand what happened out there..." He trailed off, hoping Sans would pick up on what he was asking without having to ask it.  
  
"you mean besides our homes being burned to the ground, our people murdered, and _____ completely losing her shit and trying to kill a hundred humans and then me when i tried to stop her?" Sans responded, a sneer on his face.  
  
You curled further in on yourself, and everyone else winced at the ruthlessly blunt summary of the night's events.  
  
Undyne was having none of Sans' attitude. "Damn it, Sans! You know what he meant! We're trying to figure out why _____ went berserk!"  
  
Papyrus' arms tightened around you as they continued to talk about you like you weren't there.  
  
"what makes you think i know?"  
  
"Y-you mentioned that she had a h-high amount of LOVE..." Alphys spoke up timidly. "C-could you tell us m-more about that? I-I don't understand how a-anyone could gain enough LOVE t-to be that disconnected so q-quickly..."  
  
"she didn't." Sans stated simply.  
  
"I'm sorry. I do not follow." Asgore spoke. Everyone was looking at Sans in confusion now.  
  
"she didn't suddenly gain a lot of LOVE. it's always been there."  
  
"W-what?" There was a chorus of confusion at that revelation.  
  
"Are you saying she's always been some sort of psychopath? That even now..." Undyne tensed even more as her eyes drifted to where Papyrus sat holding you.  
  
"no, not really." All attention returned to Sans. He had a bewildered expression on his face as he continued to watch you. "it's... it's kind of hard to explain. i saw that she had a high amount of LOVE since the first time i met her, but... but she didn't act like it. it wasn't just an act, either. there's something about it that made it hazy and harder to see, like a number written on a wall that was just barely bleeding through a fresh coat of paint." Sans tried to explain. "it's like it was there, but... inactive."  
  
"So, then, this evening...?" Asgore prompted.  
  
"heh... this evening it became bold and clear."  
  
"And what about now?" Undyne asked.  
  
"..." You pulled the blanket tighter around you, as if that would protect you from their stares.  
  
"it's hazy again." Sans responded.  
  
There was a collective sigh of relief.  
  
"As good as that is to hear, it, unfortunately, does not change our current situation." Asgore spoke up. "She may not be dangerous right now, but we have no way to be sure her LOVE won't activate again."  
  
The ensuing silence was harsh. Everyone was thinking the same thing. You were basically just a ticking time bomb, waiting to go off, but next time they might not be so lucky.  
  
Your heart sank even further. You hadn't thought things could be worse than the night you found out you were the barrier mage. Seems the universe decided to prove you wrong, because not only did your friends not trust you anymore, but you could no longer trust yourself. After all, you were no longer dealing with the mistakes of a past life; what had happened was all you this time.  
  
Papyrus stroked his fingers through your hair in an attempt to soothe you. "It wasn't her fault." Papyrus spoke quietly. "She didn't mean to hurt anyone. She just wasn't herself... There must be something we can do to help her..."  
  
No one could bare to look Papyrus in the eye. After a moment, Undyne bit the bullet and spoke up. "Papyrus..." her tone was mournful. "There's nothing we can do. LOVE isn't something that can be fixed. It burns itself into your soul, and once it's there, it's permanent."  
  
"W-we thought that, b-because of her reincarnations, h-her soul was starting with a c-clean slate each time, but..." Alphys trailed off.  
  
"...It seems that even death cannot erase the mistakes of the past..." Asgore finished for her, downtrodden.  
  
Sans had looked away from you for the first time in hours. He seemed conflicted over whatever was going through his mind. He looked up at Papyrus who was clutching you as if his life depended on it, utterly despondent after being told that your... 'disability'... was permanent. He couldn't stand that look. "...that may not be entirely true..." Sans spoke up, quietly.  
  
"What is not true?" Asgore asked.  
  
"there... there may be a way to fix it. to reduce her LOVE..."  
  
All eyes turned to Sans, Papyrus' becoming wide and hopeful.  
  
"Why didn't you say so, nerd?!" Undyne snapped at him.  
  
"H-how is that p-possible, Sans? I-I've never heard of a-anyone being able to lower their LOVE." Alphys stared at Sans pensively, not willing to get her hopes up just yet.  
  
"..." Sans was quiet for a long moment. "...i don't know."  
  
Undyne growled in frustration, and Alphys sighed sadly.  
  
Before they could snap at him, Sans spoke again. "...i don't know how to do it, but i **do** know that it's possible."  
  
"How do you know this?" Asgore asked.  
  
"because her LOVE is lower now than the day i met her."  
  
"W-what?!" Alphys gasped.  
  
Wide eyes turned to you as if expecting to see some indication that what Sans was saying was the truth.  
  
"Why did you never mention any of this before?" Asgore asked sternly, not happy that the fact that you had an elevated LOVE, and that said LOVE was decreasing had never been mentioned.  
  
Sans shrugged. "as i said, it was hazy and didn't seem to affect her. i wasn't sure what it meant, so i chose to just quietly observe it, first. over those first few months, i wasn't entirely certain her EXP was lowering. i thought i'd simply been mistaken over the exact numbers, as i said, it's hazy and kind of hard to make out. however, as time went on, it gradually began to drop faster, and her LOVE began to decrease. 'course, by then she was friends with everyone, so it didn't seem necessary to worry anyone over a problem that seemed to be fixing itself."  
  
"And you still don't know what was causing it to drop?" Undyne asked.  
  
Sans shook his head. "nope. although i can tell you now, while it isn't rising, it's not lowering anymore, either."  
  
"T-then we'll need to figure out why that is!" Alphys spoke up, becoming more determined.  
  
"I'm sorry, Doctor Alphys..." Asgore spoke to her. "But there may not be time for that. Not for a while, anyway."  
  
"W-what?" Alphys turned to Asgore.  
  
Asgore gave her a sad, apologetic smile. "Monstertown is in ruins, many of its citizens are homeless and afraid. I am going to need the support of all of you to bring things back to order."  
  
"Then what about _____?" Undyne asked.  
  
Asgore's face was grim. "If we already knew how to lower her LOVE, and if it was feasible, I would say we should help her. However, as much as I'd like to know how to lower a person's LOVE, we have too much at stake right now. As such, since we cannot be sure she will not succumb again, I'm going to have to ask her to leave Monstertown."  
  
The room exploded.  
  
"You can't be serious?! You want to kick her out at a time like this?!" Undyne snapped.  
  
"S-she's been all over the news all morning! T-there isn't a person in town who w-won't know who she is! S-she'll be at an even g-greater risk by herself than b-before!" Alphys exclaimed.  
  
Asgore shook his head. "I am afraid this is how it must be. Word of her identity has already spread to the entirety of Monstertown. The backlash over finding out that the barrier mage has been living here has been enormous. I fear they would not react well if she were allowed to stay." Asgore explained.  
  
"Then I'm going with her." Papyrus spoke up, his face was grim and determined.  
  
"Are you crazy?! The only thing worse than her moving back out there is you moving out there, too!" Undyne declared.  
  
"i'm not letting you go, papyrus. it's too dangerous." Sans scolded sternly.  
  
"I did not ask you for your permission, brother. I made a promise to _____ that I would be there for her. Where she goes, I go." Papyrus' tone brooked no argument.  
  
"just how bad do things need to be before you realize how dangerous being around her is?!" Sans snapped. "would you still stand by her if she'd succeeded in murdering all those people?! if she'd murdered ME?!"  
  
Papyrus flinched, though only briefly before steeling his resolve. "Ifs don't matter. What matters is what is. _____ IS my girlfriend. She IS remorseful. And she IS NOT a murderer! I will not abandon her."  
  
The tension between the two brothers was palpable. Finally, Sans spoke up. "why do you always have to be so stubborn?" Sans sighed in defeat. "if you're going to be like that, then i guess she'll just have to continue to stay with us."  
  
"Sans..." Asgore rumbled in warning.  
  
"sorry, fluffybuns, but i'm not having my brother risking his life by following her out of the district with things as bad as they are right now. besides, it's our house, not yours, and that means you have no say in who we let live there." Sans stared down Asgore challengingly.  
  
Asgore was clearly angry.  
  
"M-maybe you could tell e-everyone that Sans and Papyrus are g-guarding her?" Alphys suggested.  
  
"Yeah! I mean, those two are going to keep an eye on her regardless, so may as well make it official." Undyne agreed.  
  
Asgore contemplated the idea for a moment. "Very well. If you are going to insist on this, then I am officially assigning you two to guard _____. It is now your duty to ensure that she causes no one any harm. Is that understood?"  
  
Papyrus and Sans both nodded their understanding.  
  
You gripped Papyrus tighter. The consequences of your actions had only just begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually ended up changing the name of this chapter because I thought the initial title was a little too spoilery. I almost called this chapter, "Kill 'em with Kindness" based on the phrase meaning: "Overwhelm or harm someone with mistaken or excessive benevolence," because, from Reader's perspective during her episode, what she's doing is actually an act of benevolence. The "people" she's trying to kill have proven themselves as violently racist. They are a danger, not just to monsters, but to anyone who doesn't fit their ideal. If you break it down far enough, it makes sense that the world would be a better, safer place without them. 
> 
> What Reader's LOVE is failing to let her see is that, as terrible as they may be, they're still people with their own families and loved ones, and Reader has no more right to take their lives than they have to take the lives of the monsters she's defending. She is, essentially, viewing them the same way that they view monsters. The monsters are able to see this, and are utterly HORRIFIED. It would be like if the police rounded up a bunch of gang members that've been terrorizing your neighborhood and, AFTER they've been captured and disarmed, decided to torture and kill them in front of you and your family. You may have wanted them arrested, you may even be of the opinion that they should be sentenced to death depending on their crimes, but to watch their terror and pain unfold in front of you without any trial, without any chance of self defense... That should be a chilling thought for ANYONE. 
> 
> To make matters even worse, the LOVE also cut off her emotional connection with the monsters. Yes, she was defending them, even in that state, but at that point it was strictly out of ego. A case of, "I saved you, so you should be grateful." The only one who she shared a bond with that was strong enough to not be completely severed by that amount of LOVE was Papyrus. If he hadn't kick-started her ability to feel again... Well, I think you can figure out what would have happened.
> 
> Instead, I went with "A Matter of Perspective" as a callback to when Alphys explained that soul traits depend on the perspective of the individual, such as how the thug who broke into Reader's house had a justice soul and saw his actions as justified. In this case, perspective is from Reader, who sees her actions as an act of kindness, thus why she's so angry when the monsters try to stop her. It's all skewed by her LOVE, but that doesn't mean it didn't seem right to her at the time.


	42. Pariah

There was a knock at your door before you heard Papyrus' voice from the other side. "_____? I HOPE YOU'RE HUNGRY, BECAUSE I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, MASTER CHEF EXTRODINARIE HAVE PREPARED ANOTHER AWARD-WORTHY MEAL-THAT-CAN-BE-MADE-WITHOUT-ELECTRICITY-SINCE-WE-HAVE-NONE!"  
  
After a moment, he opened the door and peaked his head inside your room. You were right where he'd left you, sitting on your bed in the dark with the shades drawn, blankets pulled around you in a protective cocoon. He was tempted to pull the shades back to let in a little sunlight, but he'd already learned that lesson. The reporters that had stationed themselves outside the house since the three of you had returned were absolutely ruthless, and the pictures of him holding you close while seated on your bed were still circulating with wild, and often times unkind, speculation.  
  
Papyrus stepped inside and set the fruit platter down on the bedside table. "YOUR MOTHER CALLED AGAIN THIS MORNING TO ASK HOW YOU WERE DOING. MAYBE AFTER LUNCH YOU COULD CALL HER BACK? I'M SURE SHE'D APPRECIATE HEARING FROM YOU?" Papyrus suggested gently.  
  
You just burrowed further into your cocoon of blankets and shook your head. The last time you spoke to your family was on the morning following the riot. They'd nearly come rushing to Ebott City when they had heard what happened, and about your role in it. You had told them flat out not to come. You'd shakily told them that you were alright, and that you'd explain what happened some other time. In truth, you just didn't want them getting caught up in this mess. At least one of your family members had called every day after that, but you hadn't been able to will yourself out of bed long enough to take the call. Hell, the only time you'd ventured from your room was to use the toilet or shower, and Papyrus had had to interfere with the latter when, after you'd been in there for over an hour, he'd found you scrubbing yourself raw, muttering something about still being covered in dust.  
  
It didn't help that Sans had reverted to distrustful observation, his foreboding presence keeping you on edge whenever you peeked your head out of your room. But how could you blame him? You had tried to kill him, after all.  
  
The tension in the room was palpable, as it had been for the last week. Papyrus fidgeted briefly as he tried to think of something to say to break through the gloom that had cast itself over you. "OH! GREAT NEWS! THEY'RE GOING TO BE RESTORING POWER TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD THIS AFTERNOON!" Papyrus grinned excitedly. "I WAS GOING TO GO TO THE STORE TO BUY FRESH GROCERIES, NOW THAT WE'LL HAVE A WORKING REFRIGERATOR TO PUT THEM IN. YOU SHOULD COME WITH ME! A LITTLE AIR AND EXERCISE WILL DO YOU GOOD!"  
  
While a part of you was grateful that you'd soon have electricity, you cringed at the idea of interacting with the outside world. You weren't sure you wanted to know what was being said about you, by either humans or monsters. And those reporters! It had been stressful enough getting back into the house in the first place! You did not relish the idea of dealing with them again. Ever.  
  
Papyrus cupped your cheek with his hand, garnering your attention. He had a soft, but worried look on his face. "YOU CAN'T STAY COOPED UP IN HERE FOREVER. IT'S JUST LIKE WHEN WE FIRST FOUND OUT YOU WERE THE BARRIER MAGE. ... WELL, EXCEPT THAT EVERYONE NOW KNOWS IT WAS YOU... INCLUDING THE HUMANS... ALTHOUGH I DON'T THINK THEY REALIZE THAT YOU'RE THE ONE WHO PUT UP THE BARRIER AT MOUNT EBOTT..." Papyrus seemed to realize that his speech was detouring into decidedly non-helpful territory. "A-ANYWAY! THE POINT IS, YOU HAD TO VENTURE OUT AT SOME POINT THEN, TOO, AND THINGS DIDN'T TURN OUT SO BAD! YOU ALREADY KNOW I'LL BE HERE TO HELP YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, AND ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS SAY THE WORD AND I'M SURE DOCTOR ALPHYS AND UNDYNE WILL BE HERE TO HELP OUT, TOO!" You noticed that he said nothing about his brother. "IT'S JUST A LITTLE SHOPPING TRIP, THAT'S ALL. NOTHING BIG. WILL YOU COME WITH ME?"  
  
You were still cringing at the idea of leaving your room, let alone the house, but you were an absolute sucker when it came to Papyrus. You couldn't deny him anything, even if he was asking you to step outside your comfort zone. _"It's just a trip to the grocery store. Quick. Simple. Just a little baby step to get me out into the world again..."_  
You swallowed around the lump of anxiety in your throat. "...Okay..."  
  
Papyrus smiled reassuringly and gave you a hug. "IF IT GETS TO BE TOO MUCH, WE WILL RETURN IMMEDIATELY." He assured you. "NOW, YOU SHOULD EAT YOUR LUNCH AND GET DRESSED! I WILL BE DOWNSTAIRS MAKING A LIST OF THINGS TO BUY!"  
  
You nodded slightly and Papyrus left the room and headed back downstairs.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You hesitantly made your way down the stairs. You'd already spent so much time dawdling that you were surprised Papyrus hadn't called you on it. Hell, the electricity had been turned back on an hour ago. Still, Papyrus remained patient.  
  
"ARE YOU READY TO GO?" he smiled at you.  
  
"No." you answered meekly.  
  
Papyrus' smile became sympathetic, and he gently guided you to the door. He put his hand on the door knob and paused, giving you one last look and allowing you to steel yourself for your first foray outside in a week. You took a shuddering breath and nodded your head, silently letting him know you were as ready as you'd ever be. Papyrus turned the knob, opening the door and stepping out onto the stoop. You followed him, and were blinded.  
  
Your eyes snapped shut and spots danced before your eyes from the camera flashes. There was a raucous clamor as the reporters all began shouting questions at you. You half-expected them to swarm you like ravenous piranhas, but for some odd reason they didn't venture any closer than the sidewalk.  
  
Papyrus carefully took hold of your arm and guided you over to his car, opening the door for you to sit in the passenger seat. Once he was buckled in, he carefully started backing out of the driveway. Unfortunately, the reporters didn't seem eager to get out of the way, using a few cameramen as roadblocks to keep Papyrus from fully backing out of the driveway, while others began to swarm the side of the car.  
  
"_____! Is it true that you possess the ability to use magic?"  
  
"Footage indicates that you are able to create barriers. Do you have any other powers?"  
  
"Did you really intend to kill the protestors at the Monster Embassy?"  
  
"How did you get your powers? Were they learned?"  
  
"Are there other witches?"  
  
You found yourself being bombarded with questions, and you felt your breath catch in your throat and your blood pressure rise.  
  
Papyrus was asking them to move out of the way, but they didn't listen. Papyrus started to get frustrated. "MAYBE I SHOULD CALL SANS..."  
  
Like magic, at the mere mention of him, the reporters reluctantly backed off and gave Papyrus the space to leave.  
  
Once you were out on the road, you let out a shaky sigh of relief. "...Papyrus?" you asked quietly.  
  
"YES?"  
  
"Why did the reporters back off when you mentioned calling Sans?"  
  
"WELL, THEY WERE GETTING RATHER OUT-OF-HAND BEFORE, SO SANS WENT OUT TO HAVE A TALK WITH THEM. HE SAID HE TALKED TO THEM ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY WERE BOTHERING US, AND CONVINCED THEM NOT TO TRESPASS ONTO OUR PROPERTY. WE STILL OCCASIONALLY FIND ONE OR TWO SNEAKING AROUND, BUT MOST HAVE LISTENED AND COOPERATED."  
  
Somehow, you doubted that Sans' chat with them was particularly friendly to get that sort of response, but you weren't going to complain.  
  
Papyrus pulled into a parking space near Bella Bunny's store. The store had been spared any heavy damage during the riot, which was good considering it had just been fixed up beforehand, and it was essential to Monstertown's survival given the tensions the riot had caused. You got out of the car and followed Papyrus inside.  
  
The door jingled as the two of you entered, and all attention was drawn to the two of you. As Papyrus turned to grab a shopping cart, you took in the frightened, wide-eyed stares of the other patrons. You pulled the hood of your sweatshirt over your head and followed closely behind Papyrus as he began talking about what he was going to buy and what he was planning on cooking.  
  
"WE'RE GOING TO NEED FRESH TOMATOES FOR THE SAUCE! I'M SO EXCITED! IT'S BEEN FAR TOO LONG SINCE THE LAST TIME I MADE SPAGHETTI! WE'LL JUST BUY A FEW BOXES OF SPAGHETTI INSTEAD OF MAKING IT FROM SCRATCH, FOR NOW, SINCE IT'LL TAKE TOO LONG OTHERWISE. STILL, IT'LL BE NICE TO HAVE A FRESH, HOME-COOKED MEAL. WOULDN'T YOU AGREE?" he smiled at you.  
  
You had been busy trying to hide in plain sight from the other patrons to pay much attention to what Papyrus was saying, and just blindly nodded your head as you followed him.  
  
Papyrus frowned at this and settled on another tactic. "HERE! WHY DON'T YOU GATHER UP THIS HALF OF THE LIST! IF WE SPLIT IT, WE'LL HAVE THE SHOPPING DONE IN NO TIME!" He smiled at you again while handing you part of the shopping list, hoping that being an active participant would help distract and relax you.  
  
You let out a non-distinct whine, but took the list anyway and began to gather the items. You had already noticed a few of the other shoppers talking anxiously with Bella before hastily leaving. The ones that still remained were careful to avoid you. After what felt like far too long for your liking, the two of you had managed to gather everything on the list and brought it up to the counter to pay.  
  
Bella was unusually quiet as she rang up the items, but then again, so were you. Once everything was paid for, you gathered up the bags you could carry and quickly headed for the door. You walked along the side of the building and were just about to turn the corner into the parking lot when you noticed that Papyrus wasn't behind you. You headed back, eager to get going and end this awkward foray.  
  
The door was propped against Papyrus, laden with bags, as he stood in the doorway facing in. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, LEAVE HER BEHIND NEXT TIME? SHE HASN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG."  
  
"I know that, but people are scared, Papyrus. Really scared. She's... It's come as a huge shock to find out that she's one of the seven mages. That she's the huge threat everyone's been worrying over for the past year."  
  
"BUT, SHE'S NOT A THREAT. THOSE RUMORS STARTED BEFORE ANYONE GOT TO KNOW HER. YOU CAN EVEN ASK UNDYNE!"  
  
"Look, I'll give you that she's not the terrible creature the history books made her out to be, but that doesn't mean she's not a threat. I mean, look what happened at the embassy! She attacked both humans and monsters!"  
  
"THAT WASN'T HER... SHE WASN'T HERSELF..."  
  
"Yeah, well, I can't afford to risk her 'not being herself' while she's here. I'm not saying that you or your brother can't shop here, Papyrus, but I already lost several customers from her being here today. For everyone's peace of mind, please, just leave her at home."  
  
Your heart felt like lead. You had always considered Bella a casual sort of friend. You used to come with Papyrus to do the shopping every week, and always ended up buying a cinnamon bunny, as they reminded you of the ones Asgore gave you for Christmas, and thus, your hopes of reconciling with monsters. Now the idea of consuming the sweet confection made you ill with grief. You quietly turned away and headed for the car. You didn't want to hear anymore.  
  
By the time Papyrus had reached the car, you had already placed your load of groceries in the trunk and seated yourself in the passenger seat. He was glad you were facing away from him, because he was still reeling after his conversation with Bella. How could she ask him to do something like that? She knew you! He had no idea how he was going to break the news to you. Maybe it would be kinder to make up an excuse to shop somewhere else? After he finished loading the groceries, he put on his bravest smile and climbed into the driver's seat. He turned to you. "YOU SEE? THAT WASN'T SO BAD, WAS-" he noticed your body shaking. "_____? ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" he brought his hand up to your face, still obscured by your hoody, and felt the hot dampness of your tears. "..._____?"  
  
"...I h-heard..." you breathed out shakily between half-repressed sobs, by way of explanation.  
  
Papyrus pulled you into his lap and held you close, trying to soothe you. His voice quiet. "It's alright. I'm still here. I'll always be here. She'll come around eventually. Everyone will. You'll see."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
It wasn't until several days later that you once again ventured out of your room. Well... that's not entirely accurate. Alphys and Undyne started visiting every chance they could as a show of support, and after a few days of trying to coax you out, Undyne had gotten frustrated and physically carried you out of your room. You were a bit surprised she had waited that long, truth be told.  
  
You weren't angry, though. As uncomfortable as things were, you realized you needed them. You had been withdrawing further and further into your own head, gradually cutting yourself off from the outside world. However, after Undyne began forcing you out of your room to interact with them, you found yourself starting to feel better. Whenever your mind would drift to the outside world it still hurt, a lot, but your friends were living proof that you were not alone. That, even if they were few, there were still people who cared about you.  
  
Bit by bit, you climbed out of your pit of depression. You started coming out of your room on your own, helping Papyrus cook and do the dishes again, watching TV, doing laundry, you even spoke with your family when they called, though you hedged away from uncomfortable topics, but, as confused and worried as they were, they were understanding... It was almost normal, if not for the fact that Sans didn't trust you and you were still avoiding the outdoors.  
  
Of course, it was also boring. While Alphys and Undyne came to visit whenever they could between tasks for repairing Monstertown, and while Papyrus spent most of his time with you, there were still long stretches of time where you had little or nothing to do now that you weren't spending all your free time sleeping off the worst of your depression.  
  
You glanced up from the book you were reading for the fifth time towards your computer. You hadn't even turned it on since the riot, too afraid of what you'd come across online, but you were so bored and antsy that your morbid curiosity was starting to win out.  
  
You fidgeted nervously as you powered up your computer, the start-up screen feeling simultaneously slower than you remember, and yet too fast for your liking. Once everything was loaded, you glanced warily about the desktop, trying to decide where to begin. Eventually, you settled on checking your email.  
  
"Holy shit..." Your eyes widened slightly as you realized you had several hundred unread emails. Nearly a thousand. While there was the usual junk mail, most of it was notifications of messages on sites like Facebook and Twitter. You started with the older ones first, deciding to just read a few here and there. After all, it'd take you HOURS to sort through all this if you read all of them at once.  
  
The earlier emails were mostly from friends and relatives expressing their concern and confusion. There were a lot of expressions of cautious disbelief that it had really been you on the news casting magic. Even those who believed it was you were looking for some alternate explanation to the magic, asking if it had been one of the monsters doing it.  
  
You skipped further along and read a few more. There were an increasingly large number from news sources asking for comment. Shortly after that, were the messages from total strangers. Some asked questions, some believing you possessed magic, some not. Many others, though, were accusatory and condemning. It was... well... it was kind of what you expected from the internet. That didn't mean it didn't hurt, though. And some of the messages... Given their knowledge of events at the embassy, it was clear they were from the rioters. You felt a shiver run down your spine at the realization that, not only did they find you online, but they had the gall to contact you. It seemed the anonymous nature of the internet was enough of a shield for them to feel confident in spewing their hatred at you directly.  
  
You delved deeper into the internet. It wasn't hard to find news articles and message boards discussing the riot, and your own abilities and actions, and on each one, the debate was raging.  
  
Some people thought that you having magic was cool, likening it to their favorite series. "Looks like somebody got their Hogwarts letter!" or, "There are better mutant powers. Then again, there are worse, too."  
  
Others, not so much. "Yeah, and she tried to kill a shit-ton of people. Just what we need, a real-life She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."  
  
Of course, you weren't without your defenders. "Who said she was going to kill them? Oh, that's right! It was the assholes who broke into a freaking EMBASSY with the intention of MURDERING THE REFUGEES THEY'D ALREADY DRIVEN THERE FROM THEIR HOMES. Clearly, the most reliable and non-biased source of information."  
  
And that was just the beginning. Many questions were brought up about who you were, what you were capable of, and why you took certain actions, or lack of actions with regards to making any sort of official statement. It was actually nice to see that at least some people were willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.  
  
There was a ruckus from downstairs, followed by a familiar voice shouting, "You better not be hiding under your covers again, nerd, or I'm throwing your entire bed down the stairs this time!"  
  
"UNDYNE, PLEASE DON'T DESTROY THE HOUSE. I JUST CLEANED THIS MORNING!"  
  
You made your way out of your room.  
  
"Don't think of it as me destroying the house, think of it as an opportunity for home improvement! Heck, I bet over there would be the PERFECT spot for a new training room! We just need to knock down a few walls..."  
  
"U-Undyne, I think that wall might be load bearing... I-if you knock it down, the house could collapse!"  
  
"Well, there's one way to find out!" Undyne wound back her fist as she took aim at the wall.  
  
"Aren't you suppose to be helping REPAIR buildings, not destroy them?" You asked as you reached the bottom of the stairs.  
  
Undyne turned towards you, her intentions of knocking down the wall forgotten. "Hey, _____! It's about time you got up!"  
  
"I've BEEN up. I've just been reading." You grumbled.  
  
Undyne grunted in annoyance, her face making it clear that she found the very idea of sitting quietly in a room reading to be boring. Normally you'd disagree, but with no new reading material, you were at your wits' end.  
  
"I'M NEARLY OUT OF BOOKS FOR HER TO BORROW. SHE MIGHT NEED TO START RAIDING SANS' BOOKS ON REAL SCIENCE FICTION." Papyrus commented.  
  
"Oh! Um, well, maybe..." Alphys started, then hesitated.  
  
"What is it?" You asked.  
  
"Well... Have you considered coming back to work? It's been a while, and I know everything's been really crazy lately, but it'll give you something to do, and maybe doing something normal will help you move forward, and..." Alphys rambled, twisting her claws somewhat nervously and looking off to the side.  
  
You stared at her, a bit stunned. "Wow..." Everyone turned to look at you. You began to blush sheepishly. "I, uh, actually completely forgot about work..." You then paled. "Shit! I haven't been to work in weeks! And I never called in or said anything!" You were fired, for sure!  
  
"Don't worry about that! I already spoke with Mr. Malintowski about it! He understands that you're going through a tough time right now, and agreed to put you on leave until you're ready to come back." Alphys smiled at you reassuringly. You sighed in relief.  
  
"You shouldn't be so surprised, nerd! I told you we've got your back!" Undyne grinned, resting an arm across Alphys' shoulders.  
  
"Thanks, guys. I appreciate it." You smiled back at them.  
  
"SO, DO YOU THINK YOU'RE READY TO GO BACK TO WORK?" Papyrus asked you.  
  
You thought about it. Were you ready? You hadn't gone anywhere since the grocery incident, and the idea of going out still scared you. You knew you'd have to step outside the house sometime, though, and you knew there'd never be a time where you felt comfortable enough to just step outside without fear. Not until you faced that fear, anyway. And work... Well, it gave you an excuse to go out, and a safe environment to go to. If Mr. Malintowski was understanding enough to hold your job for you, then surely he wouldn't tolerate you being harassed? Besides, the normalcy of going to work had helped you last year... "I think so..."  
  
Papyrus beamed at you, happy that you didn't need any coaxing. It showed that you wanted to get past this, and were willing to take that first step forward even if the end result was unknown. He was very proud of you.  
  
Alphys smiled at you, relieved. "That's good! I'll talk to Mr. Malintowski and let him know you're ready to come back."  
  
"In the meantime, we've got anime to watch!" Undyne grinned, plopping a disk in the DVD player.  
  
You smiled at your friends, both nervous and excited, but knowing that, with them at your back, you'd make it through this.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
It took a few days, but you were finally able to go back to work. Alphys had insisted on taking care of the arrangements, so there wasn't much for you to do until then.  
  
Currently, you were in the elevator with Alphys, who was fidgeting nervously, on your way up to see Mr. Malintowski. You were a bit anxious yourself, and were relieved that at least the two of you had come in at mid-morning and were able to avoid most of the people coming in for work. You'd received enough strange looks that you didn't dare examine closely from the few that had been lingering in the lobby, especially with the members of the press that had followed you right up to the front door.  
  
Finally the elevator arrived, and the two of you walked up to Jaina's desk.  
  
"H-hello, Jaina." Alphys greeted.  
  
"Hello." Jaina greeted, nodding to Alphys, then, after a moment's hesitation that could have been curiosity or uncertainty, she nodded in greeting to you as well. "Mr. Malintowski has been waiting for you. You can go right in." The lack of nickname and shenanigans made you a bit uneasy. It seemed Jaina was all business, today.  
  
"T-thank you." Alphys then lead the way into Mr. Malintowski's office.  
  
Mr. Malintowski stood as you approached, and shook hands with each of you, with no hint of hesitation when it came to you. "Good morning! Please, have a seat." The two of you did as he asked. "So, Doctor Alphys has informed me that you are ready to come back to work?"  
  
"Yes..." You replied.  
  
"That's good to hear. It seems you've been having a pretty rough time, lately, and I'm glad to see you're able to return." Mr. Malintowski nodded sagely. "Unfortunately, your original position is not currently available. Your department is in the middle of a major project, and I'm afraid dropping you in in the middle of it wouldn't be ideal." His eyed narrowed in thought.  
  
"W-what?" You were stunned.  
  
"Not to worry, though!" He quickly reassured you. "This just means you'll be moving to a different department. It's actually a promotion, really."  
  
"A promotion??" You asked incredulously. You disappear for weeks and come back to a promotion? Something about that didn't seem right.  
  
Alphys cleared her throat and spoke up. "Y-you'll be assisting me in my lab."  
  
"What?? But I'm nowhere near your level, Alphys! How could I possibly be of any use?"  
  
Alphys blushed at the compliment. "You shouldn't be so critical of yourself! You're incredibly smart, and I know you'll be able to pick up enough to be helpful in no time." She smiled reassuringly.  
  
You returned the blush at her confidence in your abilities.  
  
Mr. Malintowski cleared his throat to get your attention. "Doctor Alphys will now be your direct supervisor. I expect you to follow her directions and give her your utmost respect." His smiled. "Although, I suspect that will be no problem."  
  
"Of course not." You agreed.  
  
"Very good. Then I suppose the two of you should head downstairs so Doctor Alphys can begin your training. You two have a nice day, and keep me up-to-date."  
  
"T-thank you, Mr. Malintowski." Alphys stood.  
  
"You have a nice day as well, sir."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
There was a lot to learn. And I mean, a LOT. In those first couple weeks, you did more harm than good as far as progress on Alphys' projects was concerned. Just learning what each of the machines in her lab was had been a challenge, and now you were studying a detailed document Alphys had written up on the nature of souls. She was trying to implement the emotion detection of the Soul Tracker into her security program in an attempt to detect and warn about people with ill intent, but it was challenging for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the fact that detecting subtle hints of any emotion, even in a specific soul the program was calibrated on, was difficult. Mostly, you were just acting as a guinea pig as Alphys tried to refine that detection to a point where it would be usable in the security program.  
  
Your stomach rumbled, easily heard throughout the lab. Alphys paused in her rapid typing and glanced over at you, then up at the clock. "Oh! I hadn't realized how late it was! It's well past lunch time. We should take a break."  
  
"Yeah, I'm starving." You agreed.  
  
The two of you headed out of the lab and across the hall to Alphys' private break room. The two of you had been eating in here since your return, not once heading down to the break room you used to always eat in with Mariana. As you munched on your lunch, you thought about Mariana, eyes staring unfocussed at an empty chair. She hadn't come up to see either of you even once since your return. It seemed unlike her. Of course, you hadn't exactly headed downstairs to see her, either. Did she even know you were back? Even if she didn't, surely she would have come to see Alphys by now...  
  
"U-um..." Alphys interrupted your thoughts, and your eyes shifted to her nervous form. "W-what are you thinking about?"  
  
"Mariana. It's been quite a while since I've seen her."  
  
"O-oh..." Alphys responded, unable to look you in the eye as a sad, almost guilty look appeared on her face. She seemed to be struggling as if she wanted to say something, but had no idea how to put it.  
  
That alone was enough for you to pick up on. "She doesn't want to see me, does she..." You asserted sadly, and Alphys flinched.  
  
"S-she seemed a little surprised by everything that h-happened... I-I'm sure if you just g-give her time..." Alphys tried to assure you.  
  
You just shook your head sadly, your heart aching. "It's... fine. It's... well, I suppose it's par for the course, really." You smiled morosely.  
  
It's not like you could force her to be your friend. And, besides, you and Alphys worked a slightly later shift, and ate lunch in her break room now. What were the odds of you even running into Mariana?  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The odds were pretty good, actually. Just a few days later, and you stood in the lobby at work, frozen. Mariana stood before you, her eyes locked with your own.  
  
You should have known coming into work early was a bad idea. Especially given Mariana's perpetual tardiness.  
  
You broke eye contact, and the two of you stood there awkwardly. The moment seemed to drag on for eternity before it was broken by Mariana grabbing your wrist and dragging you across the lobby to the stairwell.  
  
"M-Mariana? W-what are you-" You sputtered.  
  
"Shush!" She shushed you and took a moment to look around and make sure no one was around. Of course there wasn't, as no one ever matched Mariana's tardiness. Satisfied, she turned her attention back to you. There was another long, awkward silence before it was broken. "I'm sorry!" You started at Mariana's blurted apology.  
  
"What??"  
  
Mariana shuffled awkwardly, an action that seemed misplaced with her. "I said, I'm sorry. I've been a real jerk the past month."  
  
"I... I don't understand..."  
  
Mariana huffed in annoyance. "I've been selfish. I... When I saw you on the news, I was shocked." She started, and you braced yourself mentally for what was to come. "I mean, there you were, my friend, casting MAGIC like it was nothing, and I knew nothing about it! I was pissed! I mean, here you were with badass superpowers, and you never told me! I felt betrayed, like you didn't trust me."  
  
"Mariana-"  
  
"No! Let me finish." She took a deep breath. "I... I never once considered why that might be, until recently. There were some rumors going around before, but since you've returned to work, everyone's been talking... They... There have been some nasty rumors going around." She shifted uncomfortably. "And it made me realize... Maybe that's why you never told me. I... I've never been good at keeping secrets, you know?" She let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. "I probably, no, I know I wouldn't have taken your secret as seriously as it deserves. I never would have thought that people would be so freaked out by it, and I would have let it slip. I would have caused you to suffer, even if I hadn't meant for it to be that way." She admitted. She took a deep breath. "So, I'm sorry. For everything. For being selfish. For not coming to see you sooner. For being, well, a really shitty friend."  
  
You felt choked up. "I... I'm sorry, too. I never even tried to talk to you about it, before or after the riot."  
  
"Who could blame you?" Mariana gave you a sympathetic smile. "So, what do you say? Are you willing to give this idiot another chance?"  
  
You smiled back. "Of course. I could really use all the friends I can get after this whole fiasco."  
  
Mariana pulled you into a hug, which you gratefully returned.  
  
You pulled away. "You said something about rumors going around? Do I even want to know?"  
  
Mariana hesitated. "Maybe we should go somewhere more private than the stairway for that..."  
  
"We could wait until after work? I mean, you're late enough as it is."  
  
Mariana chuckled slightly. "Nah. I was thinking it was about time to break my old tardiness record, anyway." She then sobered. "Besides, you deserve to know what's being said."  
  
You nodded solemnly. "Let's head up to Alphys' break room, then."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The two of you settled into the cushy chairs of Alphys' break room.  
  
"So..." You started awkwardly. "What's the rumor mill saying about me this time?"  
  
"Well..." Mariana hesitated, carefully thinking over what she'd heard. That worried you, as she almost never thought about what she was going to say before just blurting it out. "Most people are freaked out about you. The monsters more-so than the humans. No one knows for sure why, though. I mean, it doesn't make sense. You defended them at the embassy, and they attacked you. People are saying it's because they know some sort of terrible secret about you." Mariana gave you a curious look.  
  
You cringed slightly. Mariana was staring at you, clearly warring between her desire to know all the juicy details, and her respect for your privacy. "...If I tell you, you have to understand that you CANNOT tell anyone else. I don't even want you telling your cat. Understand?"  
  
"I promise. I won't take your business lightly." She swore solemnly.  
  
You took a deep breath before explaining as simply as possible about your reincarnations, and your involvement in the Human-Monster war as Moira. Even with the CliffNotes version, she listened quietly with rapt attention.  
  
"So, in a past life, you betrayed the King of Monsters, and were one of the ones to seal them all underground. Now, after hundreds of years of being taught how terrible you were in history class, they've come face-to-face with you again and are terrified like you're the reincarnation of magic Hitler or something?"  
  
" **Please** don't compare me to Hitler..."  
  
"Sorry! How about the boogeyman? Boogeywoman??" She contemplated the terminology.  
  
"That's better, I think??" You weren't entirely sure, but decided to move on. "Anyway, that's why they're so afraid of me."  
  
"But you're not the same person you were back then. LITERALLY." Mariana pointed out.  
  
"Yeah, and between that and my friendships with numerous monsters, that might have eventually been enough to gain their acceptance, if it wasn't for what happened at the embassy..." You trailed off.  
  
"What do you mean? Why would anyone be afraid of you using your magic to defend them? I mean, there are rumors all over the place that you were going to kill those rioters, but that's ridiculous, right?"  
  
Your silence was telling.  
  
"No, way..." Mariana stared at you, stunned. "You can't be serious. You're not the type to even get into a fight if you can avoid it, let alone try to kill anyone."  
  
You took a deep breath and began to explain. "I may be a new person, physically, but my soul remains the same. And with it comes the LOVE I built up as Moira..."  
  
"And what does love have to do with it, exactly?"  
  
"Not love. What I'm referring to is an acronym for Level Of ViolencE. Basically, it's a representation of how far you've distanced yourself emotionally from other people, and thus how easily you can commit terrible acts against them."  
  
"Sounds like the recipe for a psychopath, or a soldier with some serious PTSD issues."  
  
You shrugged. "Basically, yeah."  
  
"And this level of violence just sort of sticks around with your soul into new lives?"  
  
"Apparently."  
  
"Funny, you don't seem like a psychopath. It's always the quiet ones..." She teased.  
  
You let out a strained chuckle. "Well, apparently it's been dormant." you sobered, "...Until the attack on the embassy... If Papyrus hadn't intervened and snapped me out of it..." You trailed off guiltily.  
  
Mariana placed a hand on your arm soothingly, her face sympathetic. "Would have... Could have... Honestly, given what they were trying to do, maybe you even should have... But in the end, you didn't. There's no point in worrying about what you ALMOST did."  
  
"No, I guess not, but that's not the biggest problem. The biggest problem is what I MIGHT do if I lose control again. That's what worries everyone the most."  
  
"That explains why the monsters were pushing to have you fired."  
  
"They, what??" You were astounded.  
  
Mariana's eyes widened. "You didn't know??" You shook your head. "There are monsters in every department now, and none of them were willing to work with you. They were pressuring Mr. Malintowski to fire you, and a bunch even threatened to quit rather than work with you. They came to a compromise when Alphys offered to take you on as an assistant and to work a different shift from everyone else so you would have minimal contact." She explained.  
  
"That's what they're saying?" You asked, shakily.  
  
"It's... It's not a rumor, _____. That one's fact." She was giving you a sad, sympathetic look as the shock of what she'd just told you set in.  
  
So, the only reason you still had a job at all was because Alphys had intervened... And all this time she'd acted like nothing was wrong... Like everything was fine...  
  
"Mariana??" You heard Alphys' voice from the entrance to the break room.  
  
"Hey, Alphys." Mariana gave her a sad, guilty smile.  
  
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be working? N-not that I'm not happy to see you!"  
  
"I already apologized to _____ for being a shitty friend, and I owe you an apology, too. I'm sorry, Alphys."  
  
"I-It's alright. I'm just glad you aren't angry anymore." Alphys fidgeted, then noticed that you hadn't spoken a word. "_____? I-Is something wrong?"  
  
"I knew something was up when I got 'promoted' after my absence. Why didn't you tell me that the other employees tried to have me fired?" You asked quietly.  
  
Alphys paled. "I... I d-didn't want to upset you. W-with everything that's h-happened, and a-after how h-hard it was for you to even s-step out of the house, I d-didn't want you to be set b-back by finding out..." She admitted.  
  
"Hey..." Mariana nudged you to get your attention. "Don't be mad at Alphys. You know she was just trying to look out for you, which is more than I did."  
  
You sighed. "I know... It's just..." You struggled to articulate how you felt. "It feels like... It feels like every time things start looking up, I get knocked right back down."  
  
"B-but it's not all bad. You've got Mariana here to support you now, too." Alphys pointed out.  
  
"That's right!" Mariana perked up. "What you need is some good PR! With me on the job, it'll just be a matter of time before the whole company realizes they've misjudged you! I promise! You just need to tough it out for a bit!" Mariana was enthusiastic and determined to pull your reputation out of the gutter.  
  
You gave them a small smile. "Thanks. I don't know what I'd do without you guys in my life."  
  
It was just a small, teensy tiny bit... but with your friends at your back, you allowed yourself to once again begin to hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some days it's just one step forwards, and two steps back. At least Reader has her friends there to support her. She'd be a real mess, otherwise. Keep on swimming, Reader! You're not free from the undertow, yet.


	43. The Ties That Bind Us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So, remember how there's a "Graphic Depictions of Violence" tag? Things get... unpleasant... in this chapter. I'm not marking it, but you'll probably be able to tell when it's coming...
> 
> Enjoy?

Your days had their ups and downs. Most of the reporters that had been hounding you, your friends, and your family had finally given up. There were still a persistent few, and they were primarily the most obnoxious ones, but at least you were able to get some semblance of peace. On the other side of things, it was no longer just your personal email and social media accounts being bombarded by hate mail anymore. You and Alphys had to create a simple program that automatically deleted any emails not from a company address for your work email just so you weren't spending an hour or more each day just deleting threatening emails. You also had to change your cell phone number as you were being called and texted at all hours of the night.  
  
Today had been one of the better days so far. You had managed to convince Alphys to send a simpler prototype of her security program down to the security office a few days ago. She had been hesitant, as it didn't even have most of the features she wanted to implement, but had agreed. The only thing it did was detect souls picked up by the camera, and alert the security officer to their presence. You both received an email today thanking you for the program and gushing over how much it had helped. The program couldn't identify the souls in any way, so even animal souls could trigger it, but just the fact that they didn't have so much pressure to be constantly vigilant was a relief for the security staff. They'd already chased off two vandals from the parking lot before they could do any damage thanks to the program alerting them.  
  
And so, you found yourself sneaking off to buy Alphys a gift to celebrate. She always put everything she had into her projects, and she truly was amazing, but her confidence was always wavering. She deserved to celebrate this success, even if it was just a small victory. Maybe it would help encourage her as she strives to improve upon it?  
  
You left the store just a couple blocks away, the figurine and pocky you'd just purchased secure in your bag. You'd gotten her a figurine of Officer Jenny from Pokemon, as a thematically appropriate gift. You were sure she'd like it. And, well, if not, then you knew for a fact that she'd love the pocky. You couldn't help but smile excitedly at the thought of her surprised and happy face.  
  
You rounded a corner and were suddenly blinded by pain and red. You cried out, your hands cradling your face as pain bloomed there. You were vaguely aware of the sound of feet on the pavement running away very quickly. It felt like they'd punched you right in the face as you rounded the corner, but there was something off about it. You were drenched. You pulled your hands away from your face and examined the blood that was now gushing from your nose, but... there were odd chunks in it. Something red on the sidewalk caught your eye. You looked down and saw it was a tomato, or rather, what was left of one after it had been forcefully smashed into your face. You were now covered in tomato juice, chunks, and your own blood.  
  
"Oh my god! Are you alright, sugar?!" A woman's voice asked you, placing her hand on your shoulder to turn you around towards her. "Wait... I know you..."  
  
You winced. At this moment, you felt that nothing good could come from being recognized. You started to pull out of her grasp when you got a look at her face. There really WAS something familiar about her, but you couldn't place where you'd seen her before. You took in her light brown hair and lively brown eyes. She was wearing a tasteful amount of make-up and a simple pair of jeans with a t-shirt.  
  
"Well, I'll be damned. It's good to see you made it back to Ebott City alright, but not so good to run into you like this." She gently plucked a piece of tomato out of your hair.  
  
"Who...?" you wheezed out, still choked up because of your nose bleed.  
  
"Ah, geez. Here. Pinch your nose, like this, and lean forward." She gently instructed, and you did as she said. "As for who I am, my name's Sarah. We met when you blundered into the Azure Tides Motel in Southport last year."  
  
You scrunched your face up as you tried to remember when you'd gone to a motel, immediately regretting the action as you felt a shot of pain. Once the pain subsided, it hit you. "Ah! The moteh! You weh da desk cwerk!" You cringed at the sound of your own hampered ability to speak, thanks to your nose.  
  
"That's right, sugar!" Sarah beamed at you. "As much as I'd love to stand around and gossip, we should get you cleaned up. C'mon! My boyfriend owns a shop nearby." She cocked her head and lead the way.  
  
You followed her down a side street before turning into a small book store.  
  
"Hey, love!" She called out. "Mind givin' me a hand? Some ass thought it would be funny to smash a tomato into my friend here's face, and she's got a nasty nosebleed." She gestured to you.  
  
"Wow, of course. Here." The man quickly moved around the counter and handed you a handkerchief.  
  
You quickly accepted it, desperately trying to avoid bleeding on the books or floor. Once you gently pressed the handkerchief to your nose, you hazarded a glance up at the man and your eyes widened. If his appearance was anything to go by, this man's ancestors had probably inspired humanity's depictions of devils. He had orangey-red skin and a pair of curved horns coming out the sides of his head. He wore a matching cloak that covered most of his body and you could see a sharp tail swishing idly behind him.  
  
"Come, this way. We can get you cleaned up in the bathroom in the back." He indicated that you should follow him, and so you did. "Sarah, would you please lock the door? Don't want anyone wandering in when no one's watching the store."  
  
"'Course, love." She did as he asked and quickly followed.  
  
Once in the bathroom, you spent a few minutes waiting for your nose to stop bleeding, then began to wash away the blood and tomato as best you could. Not that there was a lot you could do, especially with all the blood that had soaked into your shirt.  
  
"There you go, sugar. You're looking better already." Sarah told you as she handed you a clean towel to dry your face with. You paused and gave her a severely doubtful look, and she couldn't stop the snort of laughter that escaped. "Alright, alright! You still look like you stopped a truck with your face, but at least it's not covered in blood to boot!"  
  
"Dear..." the devil monster chided her.  
  
"I know, I know! I'm sorry. That was rude of me." She gave you an apologetic look. "Oh! I still haven't introduced you two! _____, this is Azzy. Azzy, this is _____."  
  
"It's nice to meet you, _____." Azzy extended his hand, which you shook.  
  
You paused. "Wait a second... I don't remember telling you my name..." You looked at Sarah suspiciously.  
  
"Sugar, who DOESN'T know your name? You've been all over the news for the past two months." Sarah pointed out.  
  
"Oh..." You blinked, surprised.  
  
Azzy nodded in agreement. "I don't think there's a monster around who doesn't know who you are by now."  
  
You grimaced. If she was just going by news segments, Sarah might not know exactly who you were. Azzy, on the other hand...  
  
"It's alright, I'm not afraid of you or anything." Azzy gave you a gentle, reassuring smile. "You've had a pretty rough time, haven't you? Yet, here you are, trying your hardest to live the best life you can despite your hardships. That is surely something to be proud of." You could see no signs that he was being disingenuous. He honestly seemed to be proud of you.  
  
Sarah wrapped her arms around Azzy and snuggled him affectionately. "He's right, you know, sugar. Life can be pretty shitty sometimes, but you just gotta keep movin' forward and believin' things'll get better. I mean, look at me! Before the barrier came down all I really had was that lovely trash heap of a motel. Now I've got Azzy in my life, though, and it doesn't matter if most days I'm surrounded by wannabe gang-bangers and hookers, 'cause at the end of the day I know he'll be waitin' for me, and, really, that's all I need."  
  
The two kissed each other tenderly, and you shifted awkwardly like you did when your mom and dad would kiss in front of you when you were a kid.  
  
They broke off the kiss and Azzy cleared his throat, returning his attention to you. "The point is, don't ever give up. No matter how bad things get, there will always be people out there who care deeply about you. You just need to open your heart and let them in."  
  
Sarah chuckled slightly. "Lookit us, getting all mushy and sentimental. I'm sure _____ has places to be." She let go of Azzy and turned her attention to you. "C'mon, sugar. Azzy and I'll escort you back to where you were headed to make sure you get there safely."  
  
Azzy smiled at you. "Of course, and if you ever find yourself in need of someplace to go, or just need a shoulder to cry on, you're always welcome here."  
  
"Thank you. For everything." You expressed, and couldn't help but feel loved and accepted.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You wearily sifted through your mail as you sat at the table in the kitchen. Threat, junk, bill, threat disguised as bill, letter urging you to get an exorcism to 'cleanse the evil' from within you, coupon book... You never thought that you'd reach a point where junk mail was the most welcome thing you received. You tossed the threatening letters into the box waiting to be handed over to the police department. Not that there was much they could really do about it. They simply did not have the resources to look into them all.  
  
You sighed and pushed the rest off to the side to be dealt with later. You had to get to work.  
  
Sans, who was seated on the couch, shifted his attention to you as you exited the kitchen. You would never become used to that cautious stare of his. You hurried out the door to get out of his sight, but stopped halfway through shutting the door as something caught your attention.  
  
"Son of a bitch..." you cursed as you took in the state of your car. It was a mess. The tires had been slashed and it was covered in graffiti. Words such as 'Witch', 'Demon', and 'Monster Fucking Whore' now adorned your car. As you approached it, you also began to notice a smell. "What the hell...?" You covered your nose and mouth. There was something leaking from your car and down the driveway. You were a few feet away when you realized that they'd smashed one of your windows and filled your car with what appeared to be sewage. You gagged slightly and backed off.  
  
"OH MY GOD! WHAT HAPPENED?" You turned to see that Papyrus had stepped out of the house, with Sans just reaching the doorway himself. Both came out and gave your car the once over, inspecting the damage.  
  
You just stared at the damage. Slashed tires could be replaced, and the car could be repainted, but how were you suppose to drive a car that had been soaked in sewage? It was wrecked.  
  
"EXCUSE ME, DID ANY OF YOU SEE WHO DID THIS?" Papyrus turned to the reporters who were busy snapping away with their cameras. You had been so distracted that you'd forgotten they were even there.  
  
The reporters all began to shrug and shake their heads, no. Some commenting that the car had been that way when they got here this morning. Overall, they didn't seem too horrified by the state of your car or the fact that you were being so badly harassed that someone had done this to you.  
  
"They hound me day and night, but the one time their vigilance would have been useful and they saw nothing?" you growled in frustration.  
  
"i'm going to make a few calls to see if we can get it removed before the whole neighborhood starts to reek." Sans said, making his way back into the house.  
  
Papyrus gently placed his hand on your shoulder. "DID YOU WANT ME TO CALL IN TO WORK FOR YOU?"  
  
You shook your head. "And spend the day at home dwelling on this all day? Honestly, I'd rather not." You desperately needed to distract yourself from this.  
  
Papyrus nodded in understanding. "THEN I'LL DRIVE YOU TO AND FROM WORK UNTIL WE CAN GET YOUR CAR REPLACED."  
  
"Thanks, Paps."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Things were getting worse.  
  
While threats and harassment weren't new to you anymore, none of them had been particularly credible. They were simply the vicious barks of people emboldened by the anonymous nature of the medium. People who would never have the audacity to spew such things to you face-to-face, let alone carry out their threats. They had also been fairly simple to deal with. You'd deactivated your social media accounts, old email addresses, and changed to a new private phone number. That had cut down on things by a great deal.  
  
Now, though, some of the ultimatums were becoming far too real. They'd found ways around your security measures: found your new personal email, your new phone number, and even managed to get around the restrictions on your work email by hacking into other employee accounts and threatening you from there.  
  
It wasn't just the fact that they got around your defenses that made these new threats more frightening. It was the contents, as well. They'd begun including photos of your friends, photoshopped in increasingly violent ways. One harasser in particular, however, seemed to go to greater lengths than the others. While most of the photos of your friends were ones found online, this one particular person went to great lengths to take candid photos of your friends for use in their threats.  
  
"Shit, shit, shit... What do I do??" You looked anxiously at the picture on your phone of Papyrus reading to Frisk in their room. It must have been taken yesterday, as Papyrus had told you that Frisk had a cold and that he was going to go cheer them up with some of his favorite stories. The photo was apparently taken with some sort of zoom lens through the window. The only one seemingly aware that something was off was Flowey, who was looking suspiciously outside, though not at the camera.  
  
Along with the photo was a message,  
  
Anonymous: _I wonder how long it would take for them to denounce their involvement with a freak like you once I started cutting into their flesh and bones... Tell you what... You just go ahead and warn them, and we can find out? Or maybe, if you stay close enough, I'll let you watch. I'll be waiting for your decision._  
  
You weren't sure what this person wanted from you, but the fact that they'd gotten that close to your friends was unnerving. You shakily typed out a response.  
  
You: _Who are you? What do you want from me?_  
  
Anonymous: _That should be obvious. You're a disgusting freak. An abomination. An affront to all that's right in this world. I want you to SUFFER. As for who I am? I'm simply a concerned citizen. One who's actually willing to make things right. So, go ahead and cling to your "friends." Then you can be secure in the knowledge that you'll be their downfall as well._  
  
You: _Leave them out of this!_  
  
Anonymous: _Sure thing. All you have to do is break things off with them, and I'll be all yours, sweetie. After all, why should I waste my time teaching them the error of their ways if they're no longer involved with you? Of course, you COULD try to warn them, but then we'd have to step up the "fun" a bit early..._  
  
The text was followed up with more candid photos of your friends. The pit in your stomach grew with each new one.  
  
There was a knock on the door, and Alphys spoke up. "_____? Are you alright? You've been in the bathroom for a while now..."  
  
You glanced down at your phone. Should you tell Alphys? _"But, they threatened to start hurting my friends if I told anyone..."_  
  
You swallowed anxiously. "J-just a minute, Alphys." You winced at the quiver in your voice, and took your time washing your hands as you tried to calm yourself.  
  
Finally you stepped out of the bathroom and came face-to-face with Alphys. Her eyes widened slightly. "O-Oh! You look pale. Are you feeling alright?"  
  
You latched onto the excuse. "N-not really. I think I may be coming down with something." You didn't look her in the eye.  
  
"Maybe you should go home and get some rest, then." Alphys suggested, then she started with realization. "Oh! But you don't have a car right now, do you? Give me a moment and I can give you a ride."  
  
"T-thanks..."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You waved Alphys off as you unlocked the door to the house and stepped inside, quietly shutting it behind you. You jumped slightly at the sounds coming from upstairs.  
  
"YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY MEAN THAT, SANS!"  
  
You hadn't even realized the brothers were home. Then again, Papyrus had started keeping his car locked in the garage instead of the driveway after what happened to yours. You quietly made your way up the stairs, the voices coming from Papyrus' room becoming clearer.  
  
"YOU KNOW THAT'S NOT HER FAULT!"  
  
"i'm not saying it is, papyrus, but you can't keep pretending she's perfectly innocent, either!"  
  
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. SHE HASN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG!"  
  
"hasn't done anything wrong?! she tried to **kill me!** " Sans snapped. "and don't you start in on that 'she wasn't herself' thing again! whether you want to admit it or not, that display of LOVE was just as much a part of her as her ability to use magic! it's engraved into her very **soul.** "  
  
"BUT YOU SAID THAT IT WASN'T PERMANENT... THAT HER LOVE WAS DECREASING..."  
  
"it **was.** " Sans admitted. "look, we don't know what was causing it to decrease before, but whatever it was seems to have slowed to a trickle."  
  
"BUT IT'S STILL DECREASING. SHE JUST NEEDS TIME!"  
  
"and what happens if she succumbs to it again in the meantime, huh? dammit, papyrus! do you know how much i **worry** about you when i'm at work? how much it **terrifies** me to think that, while i'm gone, something could set her off and she could hurt, or even **kill** , you, and there's nothing i can do about it??"  
  
"SANS, I-"  
  
"look, i understand that it's not something she wants, or can even really help... i get that... but it doesn't change the fact that she's dangerous to be around, whether she means to be or not."  
  
Papyrus was silent.  
  
"just consider what i said, alright? and promise you won't try to hide any more of those letters or texts from me?"  
  
"...."  
  
"papyrus...."  
  
"I PROMISE, SANS..."  
  
Moments later, the door to Papyrus' room opened up, and you were faced with the stunned looks of both of the skeleton brothers.  
  
"_____! W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING HOME?" Papyrus asked nervously.  
  
"I wasn't feeling well..." You responded quietly.  
  
Sans was tense as if he expected you to pounce on them like some enraged beast. "how much did you hear?"  
  
You glanced at Sans, then turned to look at Papyrus. "What letters and texts?"  
  
Papyrus winced at the question. "N-NOTHING! J-JUST SOME INTERNET TROLLS, I ASSURE YOU! ... WHO HAVE OPTED TO NOT USE THE INTERNET..." Papyrus responded nervously, refusing to look at you as he lied.  
  
You weren't buying it. At all. Something much, much worse was going on. You thought of the threatening texts you'd received today and felt sick. Were your friends being threatened directly as well? Was it the same person? Someone different? Your gaze met Sans' and there was something sad and vaguely sympathetic in the way he was looking at you as he took in your pain and fear.  
  
The silence was long and awkward, until you finally broke it. "I'm... I'm going to go to my room to rest..."  
  
Neither brother said anything as you shuffled over to your room, shutting and locking the door behind you.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Things remained tense for the next several days. Silence reigned in the house, with even Papyrus acting melancholy. It didn't help that every time Papyrus tried to brighten your mood, you were plagued with thoughts of those texts and how they continued to gleefully describe how they were going to torture those closest to you, and so you wound up pushing Papyrus away.  
  
It was Saturday morning, and the weather was overcast, though not yet rainy. Papyrus was making breakfast, as usual, while Sans sat on the couch watching the news. You had yet to emerge from your room for the morning, though that had become less unusual since you'd overheard the brother's argument a few days ago.  
  
The doorbell rang, and Papyrus called out from the kitchen. "SANS, COULD YOU GET THAT?"  
  
"sure, bro." Sans hoisted himself up from the couch and sauntered over to the door. He opened the door cautiously, but relaxed when he saw Alphys. "hey, alphys." he looked around. "undyne not with you?"  
  
"Hi, Sans. No, Undyne's at home."  
  
"ah, okay. it's a bit surprising to have you here visiting without her." Sans stepped aside and let Alphys in, shutting the door behind her.  
  
"Oh, um... That's because _____ asked me to come over today. Apparently she needs my help with something." Alphys explained.  
  
"did she, now..." Sans eyed your door suspiciously.  
  
"HELLO, DOCTOR ALPHYS! DID YOU COME TO JOIN US FOR BREAKFAST?" Papyrus greeted her, the most cheerful he'd been in days.  
  
"Oh, um. No, thank you. _____ just asked me to help her out with something today."  
  
"OH?" Papyrus turned towards the balcony and called out, "_____! DOCTOR ALPHYS IS HERE!"  
  
There was a brief quiet before your door creaked open and you popped your head out. "Already?? I... I'll be just a minute, Alphys." You then ducked back into your room.  
  
Sans' eyes narrowed at your door. Something was going on. He turned back to Alphys. "might as well have a seat while you wait." he gestured towards the couch.  
  
"Oh! Um, thank you." Alphys settled down, and Sans sat down next to her, returning his gaze to the TV.  
  
"BREAKFAST IS STILL ON OFFER IF YOU'D LIKE SOME! JUST LET ME KNOW!" Papyrus told her, then returned to the kitchen to finish setting the table.  
  
Sans and Alphys sat quietly watching TV for a few minutes before Sans spoke up. "so... what are you helping _____ out with?"  
  
"I, uh, don't know, actually. She wouldn't tell me the details."  
  
"huh... that's weird."  
  
A few more minutes passed, and Papyrus returned from the kitchen. "BREAKFAST IS READY! ....EH? IS _____ STILL NOT DOWN YET?"  
  
Both Sans and Alphys shook their heads.  
  
"WELL, I BETTER GO GET HER, THEN. BREAKFAST IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY!"  
  
Papyrus headed up the stairs to your door, still wearing his apron and chef's hat. He knocked and waited for you to answer.  
  
"I'll be out in just a minute..." you grumbled through the door.  
  
"_____? I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT BREAKFAST IS READY!"  
  
"Papyrus? .... Could you wait just a minute? There's something I wanted to talk to you about..." Papyrus cocked his head to the side as you sounded nervous and unsure.  
  
"VERY WELL..." He hoped you wouldn't ask more questions about the letters...  
  
A few moments later, your door opened and you peaked out at him. "Uh... maybe you should come in so we have some privacy..."  
  
You ducked back into your room, and Papyrus followed. He stopped dead in his tracks after taking only two steps in. "W-WHAT IS ALL THIS? WHAT'S GOING ON?"  
  
You shushed Papyrus and hurriedly shut the door behind him. "This is what I wanted to talk to you about..." you gestured awkwardly to the bags that sat on your bed and floor.  
  
"YOU... YOU NEED YOUR LAUNDRY DONE?" Papyrus asked, hopefully.  
  
"... No, Papyrus. I'm leaving." You told him quietly, as if doing so would soften the blow.  
  
"W-WHAT? W-WHERE ARE YOU GOING? WHEN WILL YOU BE BACK?" Papyrus' expression was strained, praying for the best, but expecting the worst.  
  
"I... I'm not coming back, Paps. It's for the best..."  
  
"HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT?!" Papyrus was distraught.  
  
"Sans was right, you know... Like it or not, it's dangerous to be close to me." You chuckled bitterly. "That's why I'm leaving Cleo here, too. She's going to be very confused about why I'm gone, and I need you to take care of her for me, Paps. And make sure Sans doesn't overfeed her, the vet said she's been putting on weight."  
  
"BUT... BUT WHO'S GOING TO TAKE CARE OF YOU??" Papyrus asked desperately.  
  
"I'll... I'll be alright on my own." You were refusing to look at him.  
  
"YOU CAN'T LEAVE! IF... IF YOU LEAVE, I'M COMING WITH YOU!" Papyrus declared, an edge of determination crossing his face.  
  
You winced, and settled your gaze on the floor. "No, Papyrus. You're not."  
  
"BUT, YOU'RE MY GIRLFRIEND! I MADE A PROMISE TO STAY BY YOUR SIDE, AND I WILL NOT BREAK-"  
  
"Papyrus! Enough!" You snapped at him, cutting off his rant and causing him to reel back in surprise at your anger. "You just don't get it..." You latched desperately onto that brief spark of anger and frustration, praying it would be enough to do what needed to be done. "It's over, Papyrus."  
  
"You can't possibly mean..." Papyrus' voice was quiet and pained. You didn't dare look at his face and see the tears forming there.  
  
"There's no more 'us', Papyrus. I'm breaking up with you." You told him, clear and simple, your own voice quiet as well.  
  
Tears were now streaming down his face, and it took every ounce of your willpower to ignore it as you held back your own tears. This was for the best. None of your friends or family would be safe with you around, either from outside forces, or from your own dormant LOVE. It hurt so much to cut them off like this, but you cared too much about each and every one of them to let them get hurt because of you.  
  
You grabbed the first of your bags and opened your door. You were unsurprised to see both Sans and Alphys standing just outside, looking shocked.  
  
You brushed past them and headed outside, loading your bags into Alphys' car. Alphys was quick to follow you out. You spoke before she could. "Sorry to spring this on you like this, Alphys, but I'm going to need help moving my things." You said quietly.  
  
"Y-You can't be serious... Y-You'll be in so much danger out there by yourself..."  
  
You gave her a sad smile. "I'll be alright. Undyne would be pretty disappointed in me if she went through all that trouble to train me only for me to be just as helpless."  
  
"T-That's not..." Alphys stuttered, then recomposed herself. "W-Why are you doing this? Why now?"  
  
You headed back towards the house to get the rest of your bags. "Because it's for the best." You stated simply.  
  
You didn't look into Papyrus' room, where Sans had encouraged him to sit on his bed and was busy trying to console him. You couldn't look, or you would break down, too. You grabbed the last of your bags and hurried back down the stairs and out the door where Alphys was waiting, anxiously.  
  
You had just finished loading your bags into the car when Alphys let out a sharp yelp of surprise, your only warning to the sudden arrival of Sans.  
  
"hey..." he said to you, tersely.  
  
The tension between you two was palpable. You took a deep breath, carefully considering your words. "I... I tried, Sans. I tried to let him down easy... Guess I really am nothing but trouble..." You gave him a sad, bitter smile.  
  
Sans seemed torn as he quietly observed you. Finally, he spoke up. "you're messed up in more ways than i'd care to count..." he hesitated briefly, then added gently. "...doesn't mean you aren't a good person at heart, though. if circumstances had been different..." he trailed off.  
  
You gave Sans a sad, appreciative smile. It was the first time in months that he hadn't acted like you were some feral beast about to snap. You didn't hate him for it. You knew he was just worried about Papyrus. You were scared, too.  
  
Sans spoke up again. "so... least you can do is tell me where you're going?"  
  
You hesitated for only a moment. "Back to my old apartment." You told him. "Sans... don't let him come over. I... I don't want to risk him, or anyone else, getting hurt..."  
  
Sans gave you a sullen nod. "alright."  
  
He backed up a few steps and watched you climb into the passenger seat of Alphys' car. She, though stressed, climbed into the driver's seat and pulled out of the driveway. Sans watched the car disappear down the street, and the source of his brother's happiness and woes with it.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You hated your apartment. It was so dull, and quiet, and... empty. You had become so used to the constant shenanigans of Papyrus and Sans, that the silence of your apartment almost disturbed you, now. You jumped at every little creak from your neighbors walking around their own apartments, or groan of the pipes.  
  
But this was your life, now, so you better get used to it. You'd cut yourself off from your friends and family, after all. Over the first few days, they'd tried calling, and Undyne even threatened to break down your door when she found out, but you'd steadfastly refused to let any of them in. It had been hard, but at least they'd be safe.  
  
You still worked at MEET Co. as Alphys' assistant, for now. You couldn't afford to just quit your job, but you were looking for a new one. Anything would do, so long as it got you away from Alphys and Mariana and kept them out of danger. In the meantime, you had cut down your interactions with them to only what was necessary to do your job. This made work even more awkward than the nights spent home alone.  
  
It was for the best, though. You had to believe it was.  
  
Your stalker had noticed you distancing yourself from your friends. They'd texted you to taunt and mock you about it. When you didn't respond to the candid pictures of your friends looking miserable, they'd switched tactics. Now they took pleasure in telling you about your day. Commenting on your breakfast, with a photo taken through your kitchen window... Asking why you didn't use your god-forsaken magic to retaliate against the woman who had used her greater size to knock you out of the way in the super market... Asking you about the various people sneering at you as you took the bus...  
  
Mocking you for always looking over your shoulder, knowing they could be anywhere at any time...  
  
"_____?" You yelped in surprise, tumbling out of your chair and to the floor. Your eyes, wild and afraid, landed on Alphys who stood next to your desk, looking at you with such worry. "H-Have you been sleeping alright? Y-You dozed off at your desk again..."  
  
You cringed. "I'm fine." you responded gruffly, picking yourself up off the floor.  
  
Alphys continued to watch you worriedly as you steadfastly ignored her. You had grown so distant since you moved out of Papyrus and Sans' house, and it was clear you weren't taking very good care of yourself. You refused to eat lunch with her and Mariana anymore, too. It was very worrying to watch.  
  
"It's, um... the end of the day, you know." She pointed out.  
  
You glanced at the clock on your computer in confusion. It appeared that you'd slept through most of the day.  
  
"I... I didn't want to wake you... You looked like you needed the rest..." she explained.  
  
You just grunted in response and rubbed at your eyes. An entire day wasted. Well, it wasn't like you'd be getting much sleep tonight, anyway.  
  
"W-Would you.... I-I mean, i-if you'd like... I-I could give you a ride home?" Alphys offered.  
  
"No, thank you." you replied curtly, before standing up and gathering your things.  
  
"O-oh... okay..."  
  
Alphys watched with worried eyes as you headed out into the hallway and towards the elevator.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Sans stood at the second floor balcony watching Papyrus idly flip through the channels as he slouched on the couch. It hurt to see his brother struggling with his depression after you left, but despite how much personal experience Sans had with it, he didn't know the first thing about dealing with it properly.  
  
Sans was broken from his thoughts as he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He took one look at the caller ID before stepping back into his room to take the call.  
  
"hey, alph. what's the news?"  
  
"It's not good, I'm afraid. She's getting worse."  
  
"how?"  
  
"S-She's... She's clearly not eating or sleeping right. She fell asleep at her computer again today."  
  
"heh... of all my bad habits she could've picked up..." Sans laughed darkly.  
  
"T-This is no laughing matter, Sans!"  
  
"you're right. i'm sorry."  
  
"A-Anyway... She's been avoiding both Mariana and myself as much as she can, and she's been extra jumpy lately. I think there's more going on than we know about, I just don't know what..."  
  
"it wouldn't surprise me... if the threats papyrus received are anything to go on, i can only imagine how much worse the ones she's been getting are. she'd be foolish not to be frightened."  
  
"I wish she'd let us help her..."  
  
"..." Sans couldn't help but feel the same. He'd been against you staying with them after the riot, and had spent his time in constant fear of you until you had moved out. Now that he'd had the time and space to step back away from the situation, he realized how foolish he'd been. His fear had been needlessly paranoid, like a person who refuses to go outside when it rains for fear of being struck by lightning. Could it happen? Sure, under the right circumstances. Was it likely? No. It had taken a monster turning to dust on top of you in the middle of a battlefield with all your friends fighting for their lives for you to lose it. Not even Undyne trying to murder you, or a man trying to rape you had brought out that side of you.  
  
His regret was too little, too late, though. You had moved out and cut your ties with all of them, refusing to even speak with them over the phone. Alphys was the only one now who interacted with you at all, and if the job websites she'd found you browsing during your recent naps were any indication, you were looking to cut off even that minor connection.  
  
"B-But I do have some good news..." Alphys spoke.  
  
"good news?" Sans could really use something positive right about now.  
  
"I-It's only a theory, but... but I think I know what was causing her LOVE to decrease, and why it's stopped..."  
  
"oh?" Sans perked up. That WAS good news.  
  
"D-Do you think you could come over tonight a-and look over my notes? I c-could really use a second opinion..."  
  
"sure thing, alph. i'd be happy to help."  
  
"Good..." She sounded relieved. "I-I'll see you tonight, then, Sans."  
  
"i'll be there."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The trip home had been stressful, as usual. You couldn't help constantly looking around, wondering if you were being watched at that very moment. It also made you well aware of the dirty looks the people around you were giving you. You were probably just imagining some of them, but, in your mind, every glance your way was suspicious.  
  
You slowly trudged up the stairs to your apartment. You began to wonder if maybe you would be better off just moving somewhere far, far away. Surely there had to be some place where people wouldn't recognize you? Where you could live in peace and forget everything that had happened here... Your heart ached as it reminded you that that would include all of your friends, too. _"Former friends."_ you emphasized in your head. You couldn't let yourself stay attached, if you wanted them to be safe.  
  
You sighed as you turned the key in the lock, letting yourself in and locking the door behind you. You flicked on the light switch, turned around, and froze.  
  
Your apartment was utterly destroyed. Furniture was overturned and broken, the walls were covered in graffiti, the TV was smashed... and that was just in the living room. On the wall, straight across from the door was written "Welcome home, bitch!"  
  
You stood there, stunned at the destruction for several long moments before you cautiously began picking your way though the chaos. You cautiously explored every room, hyperaware of even the slightest of noises. Each room was much the same as the living room. Everything was smashed and toppled over, food was ripped open and dumped everywhere, curses and epithets were painted onto every available wall... You had to rush back to the bathroom and vomit after finding the gutted cat splayed out on your bed.  
  
You were still trembling over the toilet when your text alert went off.  
  
Stalker: _Did you see my 'welcome home' present for you?_  
  
You stared in disbelief at the message. They'd been in your HOME.  
  
Stalker: _It was a lot of work, but you know you deserve it._  
  
Stalker: _I even left a present for you in your room. Did you see it?_  
  
Stalker: _It was so hard to decide what to get you._  
  
Stalker: _I know how dearly you must miss that hellspawn of a cat of yours..._  
  
Stalker: _But I also know how much you love to fuck corpses..._  
  
Stalker: _So, I compromised. <3_  
  
Your shaking grew worse as you made your way back to the bedroom and forced yourself to take a closer look at the cat. It was splayed out on its back with its intestines ripped out and strung around it into the shape of a heart. You cautiously reached out and turned the cat over...  
  
Your shaky breath left you as you realized that it was the same kind of cat, but it was NOT Cleo. You tensed up again immediately afterwards, though, as your brain reminded you that this psychopath had entered your apartment, destroyed the place, and left a **gutted cat** on your **bed** which they had apparently selected because it **looks like Cleo.**  
  
It had gone too far. It wasn't safe here. You had to call the police.  
  
You pulled out your phone with trembling hands, and noticed a few new text messages. You were filled with dread as you opened them.  
  
Stalker: _And just remember, sweetie... If you tell ANYONE about any of this, you can kiss all your little friends goodbye..._  
  
The message included a picture. In the picture was Papyrus laying on his bed, his face tense and worried, even in sleep. But the worst part of the picture... The part that truly made your blood run cold...  
  
It was taken from inside his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I think this roller coaster Reader's on has officially derailed and fallen into the pits of hell. 
> 
> On the one hand, if she tries to tell people about the stalker, she puts her friends lives at risk. The human police aren't likely to be much help either because monsters aren't officially citizens, and/or because they just don't have the manpower to keep them all safe while tracking down the stalker. The Royal Guard would face similar man-power issues. Worst of all, the stalker has already proven she can get inside Reader's friends homes... It wouldn't take much from there to coat the walls in dust...
> 
> On the other hand, not telling anyone about the threats leaves Reader vulnerable. Her stalker has already proven to be a sick and twisted individual, and Reader's in a great deal of danger by herself. This does keep the focus on Reader, herself, though. If she's lucky, she may even be able to subdue her stalker with her magic, if the opportunity presents itself. 
> 
> I just keep finding new and worse ways to torture poor Reader, don't I? Poor girl's going to need some serious therapy after everything she's been through.


	44. Determination

You yelped and jumped, magic flaring defensively as you whipped around. The pounding of your heart slowed as you realized it was only Alphys. She was looking at you, deeply concerned. "W-what?" You asked her.  
  
"I-I was going to ask you if you wanted to join Mariana and I for lunch, but... Are you alright??"  
  
"I-I'm fine." You told her snappishly.  
  
Alphys clearly didn't believe you, and she was worried enough that she was able to push past her shy, meek nature. "I-I know that's not true." She told you, gradually growing bolder. "You look like you barely eat, you spend more time sleeping at work than Sans, and you're jumpier than I am." She pointed out. "You... You can tell me what's wrong, you know. I... I may not be as strong, or confident, or fun as everyone else, but... but I'm good at listening!"  
  
You drew yourself back away from her. You couldn't let her get close to you. If you did, then... "I'm going home."  
  
"W-What?" Alphys blinked at you owlishly.  
  
"I'm not feeling well, so I'm going home." You stood up.  
  
It was a lame excuse, you both knew that, but neither of you said a word as you grabbed your things and left, Alphys just watching you, sad and incredibly worried.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You hadn't wanted to go home. Despite the fact that you'd boarded up the window to the fire escape, the point of your stalker's entry, home just didn't feel safe. It didn't help that much of the house was still a mess, since much of it either would draw too much attention to deal with, or would require outside help, neither of which you were willing to risk.  
  
You looked around warily as the bus approached your stop. While not everyone recognized you, some had hastily switched seats to get away from you. You were grateful when the bus finally stopped.  
  
You stepped off, and turned to head back to your apartment when you were hit roughly from the side. Your frazzled nerves caused you to react automatically and you threw up a barrier to knock back your attacker, even as you stumbled and nearly fell. The woman cried out as she was shoved roughly into the nearby building before the shield disappeared. You blinked in recognition. It was the large woman who had been harassing you at this stop for weeks, calling you names, putting you down, even trying to trip or body check you a few times.  
  
The woman looked up at you, scandalized and furious. "She attacked me! You all saw it! That filthy heathen witch attacked me!" she bellowed.  
  
The people around you were murmuring amongst themselves, and you noticed that the bus, which should have left by now, was still sitting there as the passengers and driver alike ogled out the windows at the situation.  
  
Your heart was pounding in your ears, and you were barely aware of turning and running down the street, the hag of a woman shouting after you. You did not stop until you were back inside your apartment. You locked yourself in your bathroom, and cried until you fell asleep on the floor.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You were swarmed by reporters the next day. Your public display of magic yesterday had been the first display of your powers since the riot. While there had been some room for disbelief before, some claiming that it was all an act and that it was actually a monster casting the magic, there was no room for doubt, now. The woman you'd defended yourself against was the most vocal of the witnesses, describing dramatically how you'd brutally assailed her for your own twisted amusement. She was, however, shut down as other witnesses admitted to seeing her harassing you regularly, including the day you'd defended yourself.  
  
With you back in the spotlight, reporters followed you EVERYWHERE. Oddly enough, you were grateful for this. Whether they meant to or not, they acted as your own personal guard. People who would sneer at, or say nasty things to you avoided you for fear of their behavior winding up on the news, and your apartment was under constant surveillance. It made you feel a bit safer.  
  
While it was still disjointed and troubled, that night was the best sleep you'd had in weeks.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Flowey held one of his leaves up to his face in a shushing motion, earning a deadpan look from Frisk. Flowey blushed furiously at the realization that Frisk was probably the last person he needed to shush. He then began to pout when Frisk smiled in amusement at him.  
  
The two stood flush against the wall near the doorway to the kitchen. Just beyond this doorway sat their mom and Sans, and the fact that the two of them had suggested they go play in Frisk's room meant there was serious talk happening. Frisk was tired of being left in the dark, and so here they were. The two of them listened silently, not daring to peek and risk either of the observant monsters spotting them.  
  
"thanks, tori." Sans said, as the sound of bone meeting ceramic was heard. After a moment, he continued. "it's **tea** -rific, as usual."  
  
"You are welcome, Sans. I always find that a good cup of tea **leafs** me feeling better when I am down." Both chuckled briefly, though it lacked their usual giddiness. "Tell me, Sans, how is your brother doing?"  
  
"not good, i'm afraid. he's still moping around the house. he was actually still in bed when i left to come over here..."  
  
"Oh, my..." Toriel breathed.  
  
"i just can't stand to see him like that, tori. he's always been so strong and cool. nothing's ever been able to keep him down for long. but this time... what if this time he doesn't get better? what if the depression just gets worse and worse? what if papyrus falls d-"  
  
"You must not think like that, Sans! Papyrus is a strong boy. Yes, he is hurting now, but it is to be expected when someone you care about so deeply pushes you away. I am sure that _____ is suffering from their separation in her own way, as well." There was a pause that, while short, felt significant. Toriel continued in a quieter, sadder tone. "It is never easy to be separated from the ones you love, even if they have hurt you. Love, though magical in its own way, is not like our magic. You cannot simply summon or dispel it at will. It takes time and effort to develop, and, when we are hurt by it, it takes even more time to recover."  
  
"i know, i know. it's just that he's been like this for weeks!"  
  
"An unfortunate testament to the depths of his feelings for _____. So long as you continue to love and support him, he will come around eventually."  
  
"uh... the thing is, he doesn't seem to really want my support. he's kind of mad at me..."  
  
"I see. Am I correct in assuming that this has to do with your treatment of _____ during her stay after the riot?"  
  
There was the sound of a chair shifting slightly against the floor as Sans presumably shifted awkwardly. "...yes... i already know i was wrong to act that way, and i feel bad about it. i was worried and stressed, and i just sort of took it out on her. i was afraid of what would happen if she flipped out again, but, logically, i know that the only time her LOVE has become active was during an extreme situation. hell, she didn't even tap into that latent power to save her own life. it's just... for all my knowledge and cleverness, i'm kind of an idiot when it comes to social situations. i tried telling papyrus i was sorry for how i acted, but i guess that wasn't enough."  
  
"Have you tried apologizing to _____?"  
  
"uh... the thing with that is, i kind of can't."  
  
"I am afraid I do not follow."  
  
"it's not just paps that _____ has cut herself off from. it's everyone. she refuses to so much as talk to anyone. the last thing she said was that she wanted everyone to stay away from her. hell, she's even cut off her own family."  
  
"Are you certain??"  
  
"yeah. her sister called just the other day wanting to know if any of us had spoken with her recently."  
  
"That is worrying, indeed..."  
  
"it seems she's trying to prevent anyone else from being hurt by the people who have been harassing her. can't get caught in the line of fire if you're not there, as it were."  
  
"A noble thought, but I worry what may become of her without the support of her friends and family."  
  
"nothing good, apparently. she still has contact with alphys, but only because they work together. despite _____ keeping things strictly business, it hasn't been hard for alph to see that she's struggling. she's been losing weight, she's constantly falling asleep at work, she's grown increasingly nervous... alph calls me here and there to let me know how she's doing."  
  
Toriel sighed. "Things have been quite terrible, lately. We continue to be stalled in our attempts for equality, and that means everyone's lives are at risk. This is exasperated by the fact that most humans that enter Monstertown are now treated with suspicion, driving the wedge even further between our two races. And _____ seems to be caught in the middle of it all, her magic making her a target for those who hate monsters, and her humanity and status as one of the seven mages causing monsters to fear and reject her."  
  
There was a quiet pause as the scope of just how bad things were sunk in.  
  
"well, at least it can't get much worse than this."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You groaned and tumbled out of bed as your alarm went off several days later. You stumbled over to the clock and blearily shut it off. God, you hated mornings. Mondays, too. Well, you hated most days, these days. Once again, you'd slept like shit. It had become almost a habit to stumble out of bed, hit snooze, and then collapse back onto the covers, which defeated the purpose of putting your alarm clock so far away. You debated trying to get 15 more minutes of sleep, but hunger won out. You couldn't afford to skip breakfast. Again. At this rate, you were more likely to die of a heart attack from stress and lack of sleep than anything else.  
  
You peaked through your curtain to the street below. The reporters were there, as usual, with more arriving in anticipation of you leaving for work. It was a beautiful day outside, with the sun shining brightly, and the warm July weather ensuring a comfortable morning. You made sure the curtain was secure before walking around your bed towards the door. You unlocked it, trying to think of what you could scrape together for breakfast in just a few minutes. You took a step out into the hall, your pendant glowing softly as it did most mornings. You never did figure out why. It didn't really matter, you supposed.  
  
You were going to head towards the kitchen, however, you never made it that far.  
  
It felt like you'd been punched in the gut, but much, much worse. The agony was unrelenting. You looked down and saw the hilt of a knife protruding from your abdomen, a gloved hand gripped around it. You followed the arm until your gaze settled on the owner, a woman smiling darkly at you from her position pressed against the wall next to your bedroom door.  
  
"Hello, sweetie." The woman pushed against the knife, using the leverage to push you back into the bedroom. She grinned viciously at you and gave the knife a sharp twist. You instinctively pushed away from the source of the pain, choking on your own cries as you stumbled and collapsed to the ground next to your bed, tearing the wound open even more as the woman maintained her hold on the knife.  
  
"My, my... Now isn't this familiar..." She said as she straddled your prone form, using one hand to cover your mouth, and the other to press the knife to your throat. You let out muffled cries of pain as this aggravated your wound. "I do believe the last time you were in this position, in this spot, was with my baby brother..." she mused.  
  
Your eyes widened in terror as memories of the night you'd almost been raped and murdered flowed into your mind.  
  
"Of course, my dear brother always was a little too impatient to do things properly... If he'd spent more time observing and less time daydreaming, he might have noticed that you were already being watched... I, on the other hand, don't have that problem. I've been watching you for quite a while, now... since you caused my other brother to be arrested outside that filthy technology company you work for." She told you in a soft, lilting voice, lightly dragging the knife across your skin, not enough to draw blood, yet, but smearing the blood that was already on it.  
  
The woman's face was vaguely familiar, like you'd seen her around town here and there. You probably had if what she said was true. While it seemed sociopathic behavior ran in the family, she had already proven herself to be far, far worse than her brothers. You had to do something, or you would bleed to death right here on the floor.  
  
Your pendant glowed as your magic flared, but the instant it did, the woman stabbed the knife into your arm, causing you to cry out in pain and break your concentration. "Uh uh uh!" She tutted. "There will be NONE of that." She began to play with the knife still embedded in your arm, causing sharp, unpredictable bouts of pain to disrupt your concentration. "I bet you're wondering why I'm doing this to you?"  
  
The look you gave her must have shown that you thought that was a stupid question, because she laughed. "Now, now. While avenging my dear, baby brothers was part of it, my motives are not nearly so simple. You see, the problem is that you think monsters are PEOPLE. That is, of course, a foolish notion, and one I may have even forgiven you of if you'd realized you'd been lead astray by such thinking. Then, of course, you had to go and start practicing magic. Of course, despite the rumors, I KNOW you didn't get them from fucking monsters. As **nauseating** as it was watching you cater to your necrophilia, you never did fully fuck that walking corpse. Normally, that would be a good thing. It would mean there was hope for you. Unfortunately, it does not. Do you know why?" She paused briefly, but not long enough for you to respond. "It's because that means that you must have been BORN with those hellish powers of yours." She sneered, clamping tightly over your mouth as she twisted the knife in your arm. You let out a muffled scream as you felt the blade scraping roughly against the inside of your radius and ulna. "You're filth! A disgusting freak! An abomination! A CREATURE like you simply cannot be allowed to live." she spat at you angrily.  
  
Afterwards, she took a few moments to calm herself, then looked down in amusement to your bloodied hand weakly trying to pull her hand away from where she still gripped the knife. "I'd tell you to just give in, but this is FAR more amusing... Do you know how much fun I had watching you tremble in fear? Aware I was out there... watching... but never able to find me?" she chuckled. "The best part was when I ripped away your delusions of safety... When I showed you that neither your home, nor the homes of your friends, were safe from me..." She leaned over you and purred the next part directly into your ear. "Just think of how much fun it will be when I do the same to all your friends..."  
  
Your pupils dilated as fear coursed through you. You thought of the pictures she had of your friends. She'd been stalking them as well, and they had no idea. It didn't matter that you'd cut yourself off from them. She'd go after them, anyway. She'd torture them, just like she'd tortured you. You thought of Papyrus, of her in his room while he slept unawares, and your pendant flared to life as your magic surged.  
  
She dug the knife in harder in response to your magic, rending flesh and scraping bone. You were screaming into her hand from the pain, but adrenaline coursed through you and your magic did not flag this time. In the blink of an eye, your magic solidified and threw the woman off of you and into your bureau with a sickening crack as her head collided with it. When the magic disappeared, she slumped to the ground and did not move.  
  
The brief adrenaline rush faded and you stared at the woman for a few minutes, dazed. Her chest was moving. She wasn't dead. You, however, would be if you didn't get help. Either she'd wake up and finish killing you, or you'd succumb to your wounds.  
  
You looked up at your nightstand. Your cell phone was on it. You tried to reach towards it, but were overwhelmed by the pain. Even slight movement had you fighting for consciousness. You also felt very, very weak. The pool of blood soaked into the carpet made the reason for that obvious. You gathered as much strength as you could and reached for the cell phone again, but you collapsed back into a heap on the ground. It was no use.  
  
You smiled grimly as a thought occurred to you. _"I guess Undyne was right. Even if I'd had a weapon at my bedside, it wouldn't have helped."_  
  
You clutched at your wounded arm and stomach, and waited for the inevitable.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"You're sure she hasn't come in yet?" Alphys spoke into the phone.  
  
"I'm certain." responded the clerk in the lobby grouchily. "I've been here the entire time. I would have seen her come in."  
  
"O-Oh... Er... I-If she arrives, could you call up and let me know?"  
  
"Fine. Is that all?"  
  
"Y-Yes, thank you." Alphys hung up the phone and looked anxiously up at the clock once again. You were already an hour late, which was very unusual for you. There had been a few times where you had been a few minutes late, but you always called ahead to let her know. So far, she hadn't heard anything from you today.  
  
The soul tracker was of no use right now, either. She'd already tried checking on you with it, but for some reason it was crashing every time she tried. Alphys didn't know why that was happening. It was working perfectly fine the last time she'd checked it several months ago. It had been pretty embarrassing at the time when one of the alarms had gone off when you got particularly mad at Sans for one of his pranks, so she'd disabled them and made one last check to make sure the program was still functional. She hadn't touched it, since.  
  
She glanced at her cell phone and, once again, tried calling you. The phone went straight to voice mail. She thought of your worrying behavior recently, and her gut twisted. There had to be something wrong.  
  
Alphys dialed Sans' number. "Please be awake... Please be awake..." She murmured to herself.  
  
The phone rang, and she was nearly convinced that he wasn't going to answer when she was greeted by a sleepy sounding voice. "'ello?"  
  
"Sans! I-I-I don't know what to do!"  
  
Sans' voice immediately became alert at the sound of Alphys' distress. "Alphys? What's wrong?"  
  
"I-It's _____. She still hasn't arrived for work yet!"  
  
"oh... kay?"  
  
"I-It's not LIKE her, Sans! S-She always calls to let me know if she's even going to be a few minutes late! A-And with the way she's been so anxious lately... W-What if something's happened to her?"  
  
Sans rubbed his skull blearily. "you also told me she hasn't been sleeping well. she might have simply overslept." he pointed out.  
  
"I... I guess that's possible..." Alphys admitted. "B-But what if that's not the case?" she continued anxiously.  
  
"if something was wrong, wouldn't the soul tracker have picked up on it?"  
  
"N-Normally, yes, but it's been crashing every time I try to check on her."  
  
"huh... that's weird." Sans then sighed. "would it make you feel better if i went over and checked on her?"  
  
"W-Would you?? I-I just can't shake this terrible feeling of d-dread..."  
  
"sure thing, alph. i'll go check on _____. can't guarantee she won't be pissed about the visit, though. she's made it pretty damn clear that she doesn't want any of us near her."  
  
"T-Thank you, Sans! G-Give me a call as soon as you've checked on her."  
  
"alright." Sans ended the call. He glanced up and saw Papyrus watching him from his doorway. He was a bit surprised to see his brother up instead of moping in bed. "hey, bro! you're awake! finally get **tired** of being the lazy bones in the family?" Sans winked at him.  
  
Papyrus didn't even react to the pun. "YOU'RE GOING TO _____'S APARTMENT."  
  
"oh, uh... you heard that, huh?" Sans scratched the back of his skull nervously.  
  
"I'M COMING, TOO."  
  
Sans hesitated. "i... i don't know if that's a great idea, bro. she'll probably be mad enough that alphys asked me to check up on her, i don't want her mad at you, too." Sans was also worried that, if the visit ended poorly, his brother could spiral into another deep bout of depression.  
  
"I HAVE TO TALK TO HER, SANS. HOW COULD I LIVE WITH MYSELF IF I DIDN'T AT LEAST TRY TO TALK SOME SENSE INTO HER? IF I JUST LET HER CUT OUT EVERYONE WHO LOVES HER? IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT ME, SANS. EVERYONE'S BEEN HURTING WITH HER GONE. UNDYNE, ALPHYS, CLEO, FRISK... EVEN YOU. IT'S TIME I STOPPED MOPING AROUND BEING SELFISH AND DID SOMETHING TO TRY AND FIX THIS." For the first time in weeks, there was a spark in Papyrus' eyes. A light of faith, of hope, of determination.  
  
Sans couldn't refuse. "alright, bro. alphys was pretty worried, though, so we should head out right away."  
  
"SHOULD WE TAKE MY CAR? IT'S MUCH FASTER THAN YOUR SCOOTER."  
  
"nah, bro, though thanks for the offer." Sans eyes sparkled mischievously. "i know a shortcut."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Papyrus lurched unsteadily as he and Sans appeared right outside your apartment door. "UGH... I DON'T THINK I'LL EVER GET USED TO YOUR SHORTCUTS."  
  
Sans snickered in amusement. "you have to admit, though, it made **short** work of the trip here."  
  
Papyrus groaned. "SANS!"  
  
"now, let's **cut** to the chase." Sans grinned broadly, and then knocked on your door.  
  
The two stood there, waiting quietly and listening intently. Minutes passed without a sound from your apartment.  
  
"maybe she's not home?" Sans suggested.  
  
"HMM..." Papyrus was staring intently at the door, an uneasy feeling settling over him. "WE SHOULD... WE SHOULD DOUBLE CHECK. JUST TO BE SAFE."  
  
"what do you me-" Sans stopped mid-sentence as Papyrus pulled out the old lock picking kit he'd gotten him years ago as a gag gift, and proceeded to go to work on your lock. It only took a minute before the lock clicked open. "you, uh, seem to have a lot of experience with that..."  
  
Papyrus blushed deeply. "J-JUST WITH THIS LOCK... B-BUT ONLY FOR GOOD REASON!"  
  
"heh... my bro, the criminal mastermind. who'd a thought?"  
  
Papyrus' complaint was silenced before it could escape his throat as Sans swung open the door revealing the terrible state of your apartment. Both brothers took in the broken furniture and graffiti with shock and fear. Sans took a closer look at the graffiti and noted that it had been partially scrubbed off the walls. That meant it probably wasn't new.  
  
"_____?!" Papyrus called out anxiously into your apartment. He was met with silence. The brothers ventured further inside, anxiety growing with each destroyed room they glanced into. Papyrus gave your bedroom a quick once-over and felt the marrow freeze in his bones. "_____?!"  
  
Sans was quick to arrive at the sound of his brother's horrified voice. He went stock-still as he reached the doorway and saw his brother now cradling your limp, bloody body, sitting in a pool of your blood.  
  
"_____?! _____! PLEASE! WAKE UP!" he called out to you hysterically.  
  
Sans moved closer and gently took hold of your wrist. There was no pulse. You were already turning cold. Grief and guilt gripped his soul. Alphys had warned him that something was wrong. Why... Why hadn't he come sooner? He'd had no problem watching your every move when he thought you were a danger, but when you were IN danger, he'd been absent.  
  
An eternity passed as the two brothers sat there, one quiet, the other wailing, expressing in their own ways their feelings of grief and loss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, are you wondering why this chapter is titled, "Determination"? Let me give you a hint:
> 
>  
> 
> [Listen to this track.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1i4mTyidOc)
> 
>  
> 
> Sound familiar? That track is called "Determination," and it is the song that plays on the Game Over screen. I wanted to allude to the fact that Reader dies in this chapter, but I didn't want that to be apparent until too late.
> 
> What a train wreck, huh? I'm fairly certain there's a special place in hell for me after what I've put Reader and Papyrus through.
> 
> [EDIT] Oh, btw, for those of you who may have wondered why the Soul Tracker didn't work, it's because Reader was already dead by the time Alphys got worried enough and checked it. The crashing was basically it searching for a soul that was no longer there. (Because Reader doesn't necessarily reincarnate immediately upon death. Sometimes it takes a bit.)


	45. Fears and Broken Promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you guys know, some of the scenes happen at the same time, such as the very beginning of this chapter happening just before the end of the last chapter. 
> 
> Also, we get a brief special guest.
> 
> Also, also... Guess who has fan art now?! :D Thanks to HummingKitten for this awesome piece of art from Chapter 43!  
> [Fan Art! WEEE!!](http://hummingkitten.deviantart.com/art/Transmigration-of-the-Soul-Fanart-640136659)

The stalker groaned as she came to. Her head was throbbing ruthlessly. She opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. Ah, that's right. She was in that damn witch's apartment. Her eyes locked on you, collapsed on the ground in a pool of your own blood nearby. After a few moments, it was clear you were no longer breathing. She growled in annoyance. This was not how she had planned for this to go. She had not anticipated you being able to channel your foul magic through the pain of being actively stabbed, let alone knock her out with it. Her eyes widened as she realized she had no idea how long she'd been unconscious. She quickly looked at the clock and saw she'd been out for about an hour and a half.  
  
_"Damn it! There's so much I wanted to do, but those nosy beasts are bound to come sniffing around soon..."_  
  
The stalker strode past you, and picked up your cell phone from the nightstand. _"I wonder if she tried to call for help... Oh, how I wish I'd been awake to see her struggle in vain."_ The thought brought a twisted smile to her features. She flipped open the phone and found the messages she'd sent you, carefully deleting them. She didn't want the fact that you weren't her only target to be unveiled TOO early. The police would likely find traces of the messages when they contacted the phone company... if they even bothered. She chuckled at that, and placed down the phone.  
  
Her gaze returned to your body. She knelt down next to you and began twirling the blade within her hands. _"I wonder if I have time to carve a few love notes into her flesh before anyone comes looking... the looks they'd have on their faces would surely be worth the effort..."_ She reached down and gripped your hair.  
  
"UGH... I DON'T THINK I'LL EVER GET USED TO YOUR SHORTCUTS."  
  
The stalker's head shot up at the loud, easily recognizable voice. _"Damn! Looks like I'm out of time."_ She cut a lock of hair free from your head, unwilling to leave without some sort of trophy, then quickly and silently made her way out into the hallway and to the spare bedroom which had access to the fire escape. She had loosened the boards covering the window while you were at work yesterday, so she could make a quick escape. She gave the apartment one last glance and lamented the fact that she wouldn't get to see the monsters' reaction to finding your corpse first-hand. Unfortunately, it was too risky to stick around and watch, especially when she had your blood on her clothes. She would just have to settle for whatever her cameras picked up.  
  
She reached the bottom of the fire escape after checking to ensure the coast was clear, and slid into her waiting car, quickly swapping shirts. She pulled out around the back of the building and smirked as the few milling reporters on this side ignored her.  
  
This may not have been the perfect day, but the satisfaction of knowing there was one less demon in the world ensured that it was a good one.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
It was a beautiful day outside. Birds were singing. Flowers were blooming. It was a perfect dissonance to the pall that lingered over those gathered for your funeral. Your family, and all those who had stood by you in these last troubled months were in attendance. Although your friendship with them had never quite been mended, Asgore and Gerson were also working with the royal guard to keep the reporters at a respectful distance, a way of showing their regret over the lost opportunity. Others, such as your neighbors Pat and Mike, and Sarah and Azzy, sent flowers with their condolences.  
  
All those attending were grieving in their own way. Your mother was bawling loudly into your father's embrace. Your father was doing his best to comfort her, and, although he was silent, he could not stop the tears flowing down his face. Your sister was desperately trying not to completely break down like your mother, and your brother, tears in his eyes, looked absolutely furious over what had been done to you.  
  
Unfortunately, there were no leads on the identity of your killer yet. There were far too many potential suspects, and any evidence that could lead to identifying the culprit was sparse. What they did know was that the threats against you had been escalating and included threats to your friends and family. The police believed most of those threats were empty, but given the timing, it was believed that your sudden decision to move out and distance yourself from everyone was an attempt to protect those around you from being hurt.  
  
Alphys let out a particularly loud sob, only barely muffled by Undyne's shoulder, the latter of whom had picked up her girlfriend early on in the service and held her close as she watched the funeral, silent and solemn. Mariana stood next to them, breathing heavily as she held back her own tears.  
  
A sorrowful dirge carried on the air from Mettaton, who stood there in his box form, his usual dramatics absent as his monitors displayed a rainy day.  
  
Toriel stood quietly, the dark look of one too used to watching loved ones die marred her soft features. In her arms, she cradled Frisk and Flowey. Frisk was crying softly, and Flowey, in a rare public showing, was doing his best to comfort his friend.  
  
Papyrus remained still and silent throughout the funeral. His mind constantly reminding him that he had come to his senses too late. That, if he hadn't been so **selfish** , he would have gone to see you sooner, and maybe, just maybe, he could have prevented this. He could have convinced you to come home, where it was safe. He would have found out sooner how bad things were getting. He could have **protected** you.  
  
This was all his fault.  
  
Sans eyed Papyrus worriedly. Although his brother seemed calm and quietly respectful, Sans knew better, and he was afraid of where his brother's thoughts were leading him. His brother was naturally loud and expressive, an open book for the world to read. It was when his brother grew quiet and still, showing little or no outward expression at all, that he knew something was truly wrong. Even after you'd broken up with him, he'd worn his grief on his sleeve. Now, though, he appeared as lifeless as you were. The only other time he'd seen his brother like this was when there'd been an accident while he was working at the Core, and, due to the confusion of the situation and the cell phone interference caused by the near-meltdown, Papyrus had thought he'd been one of the victims. When he'd finally limped his way back into the apartment they were living in a few days later, he'd found his brother seated on the floor, starving and dehydrated, his expression an emotionless mask. He had completely shut down. Sans had quit his job at the Core the next day, unwilling to risk his life at the regularly unstable power plant if this was his brother's fate should the worst happen. No amount of money was worth his brother's peace of mind.  
  
There was one last call for anyone who wished to speak a few words before your casket was lowered. A few eyes turned towards Papyrus, who was one of the few who hadn't spoken. He remained silent.  
  
With no one else stepping forward to speak, they began to lower your casket into the grave. They watched as it was carefully covered with dirt, which added a sense of finality, of realism to the surreal fact that you were dead.  
  
Papyrus watched as you were interred in the earth, and knew that, buried with you would always be a piece of his heart.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The stalker watched the funeral service from as close as she dared, which, given that she was cautious by nature, wasn't terribly close. Her binoculars, however, allowed her to see the pain and grief well enough. She was a bit surprised by the tall skeleton's reaction, or lack there-of. Since she'd started observing them, it had become clear that he didn't DO calm and quiet. The strained glances from the short skeleton further confirmed that his behavior was unusual.  
  
_"I wonder if I broke him?"_ she pondered idly. A grin then spread across her features. _"I wonder if I can break him further..."_ Oh, how fun that would be! Imagine, all his friends and loved ones dying around him... How would he react when she finally came for him? Would he snap in a fit of rage? Submit to the inevitable? Maybe he'd take his own life before she could? So many possibilities...  
  
Well, there was one way to find out...  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"c'mon, paps. you've got to eat." Sans pleaded. It had been two days since your funeral, and Papyrus had locked himself in his room the entire time. Not that that stopped Sans from entering, as he would simply take a shortcut. He was currently trying to convince Papyrus to eat some of the spaghetti he'd cooked, but wasn't having much luck. Papyrus just sat there on his bed, leaning against the headboard, pillow clutched to his front as he stared blankly ahead of him. "i know you've got to be hungry, bro. you've barely eaten anything in days. please eat something. for me?" Something about Sans' worried tone must have reached him, because Papyrus shifted a bit and looked towards Sans.  
  
Papyrus looked at his brother's worried features. He shouldn't be surprised. He failed at everything he tried to do. He'd tried to support his brother after he quit his job at the Core for him, but Sans ended up taking up multiple jobs to keep them financially afloat. He'd tried to join the Royal Guard, but never made it in. He'd offered you his love, but you ended up pushing him away. He'd tried to protect you, but now you were dead. And now, his vow to stay strong so his brother could at least rely on him for emotional support was shattered.  
  
Everything was all his fault.  
  
"see, paps? it's spaghetti! i made it just for you. even put in some of that mtt glitter you like. won't you at least try it?" Sans implored, holding the plate out to his brother.  
  
There was a long moment before Papyrus took the plate and began to idly pick at the food. He wasn't really hungry, but he was worrying his brother enough.  
  
The sound of the doorbell ringing drew Sans' attention. "hey, i'm going to go answer the door, okay bro? then i'll be right back." Sans gave him a smile that didn't reach his eyes before taking a shortcut downstairs.  
  
He opened the door and found Frisk standing there, Flowey's pot clutched tightly in their hands. "hey, kid. i appreciate the visit, but now might not be the best time..."  
  
'I need to talk to you, Sans. It's really, REALLY important.' Frisk signed anxiously.  
  
Sans sighed. "alright. come on." and cocked his head to indicate that Frisk should come in, which they did. "where's your mom, anyway? shouldn't she be with you?"  
  
'I snuck out.' Frisk signed, and received a scolding look from Sans. 'She wouldn't bring me over! She said that we should give you and Papyrus some space, but I HAVE to talk to you, Sans! It's important!'  
  
"Super important." Flowey droned in a vaguely annoyed monotone. He'd clearly been on the receiving end of Frisk's rant multiple times already.  
  
"alright, i get it. so what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Sans asked.  
  
Frisk brought up their hands to sign and hesitated.  
  
"Oh, come on! It's all you've been talking about since you found out about _____!" Flowey griped. When Frisk continued to struggle with their words, Flowey spilled the beans for them. "Frisk has been using SAVE since we reached the surface."  
  
Sans narrowed his eyes at Frisk. "i thought we agreed that you would never use your powers again after the barrier broke?"  
  
Frisk fidgeted guiltily. 'I... I haven't used LOAD or RESET! I swear! I just... I was afraid of... of what would happen if someone else managed to gain control of LOAD and RESET... I... I wanted to be sure that we wouldn't be set too far back...'  
  
Sans sighed in frustration, running his hand over his face. "look, kid. you've got a lot of power, and i mean a **lot**. you're a good kid, i know you are, but even good kids can sometimes be lead astray. even someone as determined as you might find yourself tempted to use those powers for the wrong reasons." Sans explained.  
  
'Just because they can be used for bad, doesn't mean they can't be used for good! I never would have made it through the underground without them! And then where would we be, Sans? Would dad have taken my soul as the 7th and started another war with humanity?' Frisk shot back.  
  
"i'll admit, i'm grateful for what you did, frisk. really grateful. but that doesn't change the fact that you made me a promise to never use your powers again. a promise that you apparently broke as soon as you made it." Sans was staring at him in disappointment.  
  
'I... I know, Sans, and I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you, but I don't regret using SAVE all this time, because it means I can fix things, if you'll let me.'  
  
"fix things? what are you talking about?"  
  
'The last time I SAVED was the morning _____ was murdered.' Frisk signed, staring determinately at Sans as the implications of what that meant sank in.  
  
"you... that means..." Sans stared wide-eyed at Frisk.  
  
"That's right, trash bag. We may be able to save _____." Flowey bragged smugly.  
  
'I'm not sure if it'll work...' Frisk admitted. 'I'm not sure exactly when _____ was attacked, or how that relates to when I SAVED, but it's our only chance to save her.'  
  
Sans hesitated. The time powers Frisk possessed had caused him a lot of grief in the underground. While he did not know all the details, he was painfully aware that time had been repeated again, and again, and again. There were little bits of evidence of this if you knew where to look. By his calculations, they'd repeated the same approximate time frame for at least 10 years, and that was the lowball estimate. 10 years of playing to someone else's whims... 10 years of being murdered, toyed with, and teased with the tantalizing taste of freedom, only to be dragged back down with no memory of ever having seen the sun. Each little shred of evidence, each tiny hint teasing him, and no end to their torment in sight. Was it any wonder that Sans had given up hope? Frisk had insisted that it wasn't them who had kept them trapped in that time loop, and Sans believed them. Time progressed differently as Frisk made their way through the underground. Something had changed, or rather, the someone in control of the timeline had. Sans knew that Frisk was fully aware of who had controlled it previously, however, they refused to tell him. Sans, of course, had his suspicions- he shot Flowey a dirty look, and received a scathing, but nervous, look in response- but without hard evidence, he was hard-pressed to do anything about it.  
  
The point was, Sans had far too much bad experience with those time powers to take their use lightly. The very idea of giving his consent to those powers being used again made him nauseous with anxiety. There was just so much that could go wrong...  
  
Frisk watched as Sans seemed to draw further and further away from the idea of using their power to save you. Clearly he needed convincing.  
  
'What about Papyrus?' Frisk signed, grabbing Sans' attention. 'Staying in bed all day, and refusing spaghetti? He's deeply depressed right now.'  
  
"and just how do YOU know about papyrus?" Sans asked suspiciously.  
  
"We overheard you whining to mom about it over the phone." Flowey shrugged a leaf nonchalantly.  
  
Frisk tried to refocus the discussion. 'I know you're worried about him. Wouldn't it be better to save _____ and prevent his depression altogether?'  
  
"Unless you LIKE seeing your brother like this?" Flowey accused, grinning maliciously. "That would make you even worse than ME- OW!" Frisk pinched one of Flowey's petals, and chided the flower.  
  
If looks could kill, Flowey would be mulch by now. Sans did not rise any further to the bait than that, though. He returned his gaze to Frisk, giving them a the look of a weary parent trying to explain something to a willful child for the umpteenth time. "it ain't that simple. suppose we go back and succeed in saving her? there's no telling how time will branch out from there. things **might** turn out good, but chances are, even under the best circumstances, that some things will go wrong. 'course, if things go wrong you could just LOAD and try again. after all, if you used it to correct things once, you may as well make sure things turn out well, right pal?" Sans winked at Frisk.  
  
Frisk tensed, sensing a trap in Sans' words.  
  
Sans chuckled humorlessly at Frisk's suspicion, and continued. "then, when the next thing goes wrong, you try again. and again. and again. and again." Sans was staring at Frisk intensely. "until, next thing you know, what **should** have been years later is only a month." Sans shrugged. "and what happens if you encounter a situation where none of the outcomes are favorable? do you reset and try again? how many times do you try? how long do you keep the world from moving on just because you  
  
**c a n ' t  s t o p  p l a y i n g  g o d ?** "  
  
Sans' sockets were dark and foreboding.  
  
Frisk seemed sad, but remained determined. 'I understand why you're so scared, Sans. I learned that lesson the hard way before I fell into the underground.' Frisk admitted, their eyes grief-stricken as they remembered a time when they'd tried SO HARD to mend their broken family. To find a way to gain their love and acceptance. 'But that's the way life is, isn't it? We all make mistakes. Sometimes, when we try to do the right thing, we end up hurting others in the process, even if we never meant to. Does that mean we should never try to make things better? If so, then time may continue forward, but there will never be any progress. Nothing will ever truly change because everyone will be too afraid to do anything about it.' Frisk's demeanor had grown more and more steadfast and determined as they signed. 'I know you care about me, Sans, I really do, but you view my power with the same fear and hatred that everyone showed _____ when her powers were revealed.' Sans flinched, unable to deny the accusation. Frisk gave him a sympathetic and pleading smile. 'You don't have to be afraid, Sans. I came here to talk to you about this because I love and respect you, and I know it isn't easy on you. I know I can't fix everything...' Frisk gave a sullen glance to Flowey, who was keeping his face studiously blank. '...but that doesn't mean I can't fix **some** things.' Frisk took a steadying breath. 'Please, Sans. Let me do this. _____ was a good person. She knew someone was trying to hurt her, and so she pushed everyone else away to try and protect them. She didn't deserve what happened to her. Papyrus doesn't deserve to go through life knowing that his last words with her, the person he loved, were exchanged in the heat of an argument. We all failed her in her time of need. We deserve a second chance.'  
  
The room was tense and silent as Sans mulled over Frisk's words. He was touched that Frisk cared so much about him that they'd sought his permission to do this, when they could have just done it regardless. The kid also had a good point, too. Sans generally viewed the power to control the timeline as being a terrible thing. Something no good could truly come from. But hadn't Frisk already proven him wrong on that? Hadn't Frisk already used that power to free monsters from the underground and, though he continued to use SAVE, avoided LOAD and RESET after they'd reached the surface, all because he asked them not to use them? Now, here he was, the opportunity to prevent this tragedy before him. The choice was his to make. Would he agree to let Frisk try? Or would he allow his fear of Frisk's powers to override his love and trust of Frisk?  
  
His mind drifted to you, imagining you returning every day to your destroyed apartment, never once calling for help. He could have been there keeping an eye out for you, but he wasn't.  
  
He then thought of Papyrus upstairs in bed. He'd thought his brother had been in a bad state before, but at least then he'd shuffled around the house, ate, and watched TV. Even though his brother had been mad at him for his part in pushing you out, that was still preferable to the nothingness he exhibited now. If he continued at this rate, he may very well fall down. Sans felt so helpless... But that wasn't true... Sans wasn't helpless... He looked down at Frisk who stood before him, waiting. It wasn't a guarantee by any means, but there was at least a chance...  
  
Sans let out a humorless chuckle. "well... i should've known i could never win an argument with you. i never did really have the **stomach** for debate." Sans winked, his grin broadening more genuinely. "but just because i don't have the **guts** to try and change the future, doesn't mean you shouldn't, either. I trust you, kid. i trust you to save _____ and my brother, and to not get carried away. you've got a good head on your shoulders, after all." Sans was smiling gently at Frisk now. "and thanks for taking my feelings into consideration. i hope past me doesn't give you too much flak for this, o legendary fartmaster." Sans bowed in cheerful mock respect for the title.  
  
Frisk giggled and bowed in return before throwing themself at Sans and giving him a big hug. After the hug, Frisk backed off, with Flowey nearby pretending to gag at the sign of affection. 'Thanks, Sans! That means a lot to me.'  
  
"no problem, kid. good luck."  
  
Frisk nodded in acknowledgement and began to focus their power into LOAD. Time seemed to freeze before reality began to fall away in preparation of returning to a point that had already passed.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Alphys shook violently and continued to hyperventilate. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be real.  
  
The morning, though sunny, had felt bleak, and she hadn't wanted to get out of bed. Undyne had tried to comfort her as best she could, but Alphys just felt miserable. She'd watched your downward spiral. She'd known something was terribly wrong. You had flinched away from her attempts to help, but she hadn't pushed the issue. She should have done something. She should have tried harder to reach out to you!  
  
Eventually, Undyne had left her to dwell on her own failings, saying she was going to the store to get some stuff that was sure to help lift her spirits. It was after she'd left that things took a turn for the worse.  
  
She had been unaware of how much time had passed when she heard the sound of jangling keys. She hadn't bothered to turn over when the footsteps entered the room.  
  
It hadn't occurred to her until she felt the sharp stab of a needle that the footsteps were far too light to be Undyne's.  
  
She'd cried out in surprise and flung herself in a tangled mess of sheets from the bed. She looked up fearfully from her position on the floor and took in the terrifying smile of the human standing on the other side of the bed, an empty needle in one hand, and a set of keys she recognized as yours being casually tossed up-and-down in the other. That must be how she got in. Alphys had given you a copy of her house key a while ago in case you needed to come over for any reason.  
  
Alphys' wide-eyed stare grew even wider when she felt a wave of dizzy-lethargy wash over her. Biology and medicine weren't her strongest fields, but she immediately recognized the tell-tale effects of a tranquilizer. She tried to scramble to her feet to run while she could, but the tangled sheets and another wave of lethargy dragged her back to the ground. The strange woman's smile grew wider.  
  
"Good night, sweetie..." She'd crooned to Alphys as her consciousness faded.  
  
When Alphys had awoken, she found herself bound, gagged, and muzzled in her own lab. She immediately began quivering with fear as the human woman came into focus in front of her.  
  
"Feeling better after your little nap?" the woman had purred at her, stroking the side of her face. "I certainly hope so. Wouldn't want you to miss the show..." Her smile turned vicious and Alphys could feel her soul racing in fear.  
  
There was the sound of a door being roughly opened and closed on the other side of the house. "Ah, just in time, too. What do you say we invite that freakish brute you call a girlfriend to our little party, hm?"  
  
Alphys immediately began to struggle. She thrashed against her restraints and tried to call out to warn Undyne, but she was bound too tightly, and the sounds that escaped her were quiet and muffled.  
  
"Alphy?" Undyne called out. The sound of her footsteps drew closer, and helpless tears sprung to Alphys' eyes as the human woman moved into position near the door to the lab, hidden from immediate sight by some of her equipment.  
  
Shortly afterwards, the door slid open with a woosh and Undyne stepped inside. She didn't see Alphys at first where she was tucked off to the side, but the sound of her whimpers drew Undyne's attention and she stepped further in until she spotted her bound girlfriend.  
  
"W-What the he-" Undyne's eye was wide, but she didn't get the chance to finish that thought as something hit her from behind and she was overcome by a powerful electrical shock. "AAAAGGHH!!" She cried out, collapsing to her knees.  
  
The wave of electricity faded and left Undyne panting and trying to reign in her twitching muscles. Her head turned and her eye narrowed furiously at the surprised human woman behind her. Her lip curled back, baring her shark-like teeth at the woman and she held out her hand, summoning a spear. "You just made a BIG mistake," she growled.  
  
A bemused smirk twitched its way onto the woman's features. "It seems I have. Don't worry, though. I'm a quick learner." Undyne twisted in preparation of throwing the spear, but cried out again and collapsed to the ground as another shock was delivered to her from the taser, this one much more powerful. Her spasming fist clenched tightly around the conjured spear, snapping it in two before it fell from her grasp and disappeared.  
  
The electricity relented once again, and Undyne lay twitching uncontrollably on the ground. The woman walked over to her and smiled smugly down at her. Undyne snarled and lunged at her. ... Or rather, she tried to. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't quite control her limbs as they jerked about. The end result was more akin to having an angry shark flop vaguely in your direction on solid ground than the deft pounce of an experienced warrior. The woman simply stepped a bit farther away.  
  
"My, my... such defiance. I suppose nothing less should be expected from the 'Captain of the Royal Guard'," she clucked out the title in distaste.  
  
Undyne panted and snarled angrily as she tried desperately to reign in her uncooperative musculature. Before she could do so, though, she was shocked for a third time. This time, she could do nothing but twitch helplessly on the floor after the shock wore off.  
  
The woman took advantage of her helplessness to bind her wrists and ankles in thick cuffs. "There we go! That's MUCH better. Now, where to begin?"  
  
Alphys had been forced to watch the woman torture Undyne for hours. Every time she'd tried to look away, the woman had threatened even worse horrors on the woman she loved. Undyne, though, was strong and refused to break. She held back tears of pain, and her cries of agony were channeled into howls of rage, barely muffled by the gag that had been stuffed into her mouth. She'd tried to bite off the woman's fingers when she'd done that, but they'd been just scarcely pulled back in time. Any time she grew too defiant, though, the woman would threaten Alphys. "If I so much as THINK you're going to break free, I'll make sure your lover is dead before you can blink."  
  
Now, Undyne was bleeding profusely from her numerous wounds. She didn't want to admit it, but she was exhausted. The woman saw this, however, despite her bravado.  
  
"Ah, growing tired, are we?" she cooed at Undyne like she was speaking to a cranky toddler. "Maybe it's about time for to close your eyes. Or, eye, I suppose. Oh! That gives me a wonderful idea!" Undyne tensed. She knew that any idea that this psychopath thought was 'wonderful' would undoubtedly be bad news. She felt the weight of the woman as she sat down on her back. A hand gripped painfully at her hair and she grunted as her head was jerked up to face Alphys. "You might want to get in a good, long look at her. Really take in the details." she chuckled dangerously.  
  
Undyne's eye locked with Alphys' as a feeling of dread washed through her. Alphys was shaking like a leaf, tears staining the side of her face and her breathing was labored as she was forced to watch the terrifying ordeal. While she had gotten better, Alphys still struggled with depression and fear over what had happened in the hidden depths of her lab underground. Undyne couldn't bear to imagine what this ordeal would do to her. Her only consolation was that, so far, the woman hadn't laid a finger on the meek dinosaur. If they could just get through this...  
  
"Get a good look, sweetie?" asked the woman from her position seated atop Undyne. The only warning Undyne got to what was coming next was the look of abject horror on Alphys' face before a bloody knife was brought before her one good eye. "I hope you really took the time to appreciate the moment, because it's the last thing you'll ever see." she purred dangerously next to Undyne's head, her grip still tight in her hair and the knife hovering an inch away.  
  
This time, all the determination in the world couldn't stop her muffled scream before the world froze and began to crumble away.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
There was nothing.  
  
No light. No sound. No joy.  
  
No darkness. No silence. No fear.  
  
You were everywhere.  
  
And you were nowhere.  
  
Existing in a state of nonexistence.  
  
Time was meaningless here in this non-place.  
  
A few seconds took hours to pass, and years swept by in a moment.  
  
You were waiting.  
  
You were being watched.  
  
Something... someone... both there, and not, eyed you curiously with dark, misshapen sockets, contrasting starkly from their pale, bony face.  
  
'Just what are you doing in the void?' the non-figure asked, hands forming and moving in familiar signs.  
  
"I always come here to wait." You responded voicelessly, though you didn't know how you knew this.  
  
'Curious. You are the first I have seen here since I became trapped.' the non-figure responded.  
  
"Who are you?" You asked.  
  
'I am no one. I no longer exist. But, when I did exist, I was known as W.D. Gaster.' the void distorted in protest to the non-existent name. 'But you... you are not forgotten, like I am. I can see them. They mourn your passing. They remember you. They seek to bring you back.'  
  
"They?" You tried to remember, but it was difficult to do without any thoughts.  
  
Suddenly, there was light. A hole in the fabric of nothingness. You stared into it and were overwhelmed.  
  
Fear. Pain. Depression. You jerked away from the light that called you back to these things. You didn't want to go back to that! You refused.  
  
'Hm... I have been trapped in this void for a long time, with no chance of escape. You, however, pass in and out of the void between lives as if it was nothing. Even if you refuse this, you will be reborn into reality again eventually, but then you will have to start over. What lies before you now is a rare opportunity, indeed. The chance to return to who you once were. Tell me... is there truly nothing in that life worth fighting for?'  
  
You stared into Gaster's skeletal face and felt a sharp sense of longing. Not for Gaster. No. But who? You tried harder to remember.  
  
A flash of white and red.  
  
An ever present smile.  
  
A red scarf.  
  
The smell of spaghetti.  
  
"Papyrus..." you breathed out. Like a dam shattering, memories surged through you. Papyrus bragging about his latest culinary breakthrough in the art of spaghetti. Your brother's laughter as Thor nearly toppled you over in his happiness to see you. Your parents watching proudly as you graduated college. Undyne sweeping Alphys off her feet into a kiss, despite the latter's half-hearted protests about Undyne being all sweaty. Your sister. Sans. Toriel. Mariana. Frisk. Flowey. Asgore. Gerson. And so many more people who meant everything to you.  
  
Yes, there was pain, and fear in that light, but there was so much more than that. So much you cared about. So many people you loved.  
  
You remembered your stalker. Your **murderer**. She was alive. She'd said she was going to go after your friends. You remembered the photo of Papyrus in his bedroom. She was already in striking range.  
  
You felt a spark of determination.  
  
'So, it seems you've made your decision.' Gaster mused. 'Going back will not be easy. Things may not turn out as you hope.' he warned.  
  
"They can never turn out as I hope if I don't even try."  
  
Gaster's crooked face shifted into what you assumed was a smile. 'True. I wish you luck, human. Perhaps we will meet again between this and your next lifetime.'  
  
And so, you allowed yourself to be pulled into the light.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Something itched at the corner of your mind. Some thought... some memory of something that wasn't there... You had just experienced... something... but it was faded like a dream you knew you had, but could remember no details of.  
  
The next thing you became aware of was light. Your pendant was glowing more brilliantly than you'd ever seen it glow before.  
  
Your foot hit the carpet just outside your bedroom door, and you were hit with a staggering sense of déjà vu. Your eyes widened and you tensed. Then, your fears were confirmed.  
  
A knife was plunged into your abdomen. Your wide eyes followed along the arm of your attacker to the sinisterly smiling face of a woman pressed against the wall just outside your bedroom door.  
  
"Hello, sweetie." The woman pushed against the knife, using the leverage to push you back into the bedroom.  
  
You collapsed, choking on your cry of pain as your wound was torn open further, your mind whirling. Just as you expected, the woman straddled you and began to mock you as she bragged and threatened. Every word she said, every action, came just as you expected it. You knew this was all going to happen. You REMEMBERED it already happening!  
  
She threatened your friends and your fear and anger spiked. The woman was thrown into your bureau with a sickening crack by your magic, and you were now stuck with the problem you'd had before. If things continued as they had, you'd die, she'd probably get away before anyone noticed, and then your friends would be in danger.  
  
You knew you couldn't reach the phone on your nightstand. It was pointless to try. Your eyes locked onto the knife that lay on the floor next to the woman's unconscious body, glistening with your blood. Your soul quivered as a thought occurred to you. If you could reach that knife, you could stop her. You could prevent her from hunting down your friends. You could stop her from ever hurting anyone ever again. You swallowed thickly at the idea of taking another person's life, but you were dying. Your friends were in danger and you had no way to warn them. What choice did you have?  
  
Gritting your teeth against the pain, you began crawling towards the knife.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Sans groaned as his phone rang loudly from the night stand next to his bed. Didn't people know that it was far too early to be conscious right now? Sans reached over and poked blearily at the phone until the call answered on speaker phone, so he wouldn't have to waste energy holding it. "'ello?"  
  
"Sans!" shouted the voice from the other side.  
  
Confusion tugged on Sans' features as he tried to place the vaguely familiar voice. "whosat?" he tried to wipe the sleep away from his eye sockets so he could see the phone's screen clearly.  
  
"Sans, it's me! Frisk!"  
  
Sans blinked in surprise before the realization of where he'd heard that voice before clicked into place. Sans snapped to attention. "frisk? what are you doing calling this early? scratch that, what are you doing calling at all? you hate talking. you always use video or text."  
  
"There's no time for that. This is the fastest way to warn you. _____'s in danger!"  
  
"what are you talking about?" Sans' eye sockets narrowed. "frisk... you didn't break your promise, did you?"  
  
"I got your permission. I'll explain the details later, but you need to get to _____'s apartment **right now**. She's going to **die** , Sans! It... It might already be too late..."  
  
Sans tensed at Frisk's words. His relationship with you was complicated, but he would never wish for you to die. And Papyrus... he could only imagine how his brother would react.  
  
Sans stood up out of bed, the clothes he'd slept in were wrinkled, but that hardly mattered. "alright, kid. i'll go check it out, but i expect a full explanation afterwards."  
  
"Yes! I promise!"  
  
Sans ended the call and heard his door creak open.  
  
"SANS?" Papyrus peaked his head in worriedly. "I HEARD FRISK'S VOICE. THEY SOUNDED UPSET. DID THEY JUST CALL YOU?"  
  
Sans hesitated. Should he tell his brother you were apparently in danger? He had no idea what he'd be walking in to. He didn't want his brother in danger, too, but at the same time, it might be a good idea to have some backup...  
  
"something bad is happening at _____'s apartment. i'm headed there now."  
  
"SOMETHING BAD?? WHAT IS IT? HOW DOES FRISK KNOW?"  
  
"don't know, exactly, and how frisk knows doesn't matter, but there's no time to waste."  
  
Papyrus straightened up. "I'M GOING WITH YOU."  
  
Sans gave his brother a small smile at the first spark of life and determination he'd seen in him in a while. "i thought you might say that. c'mon, i know a shortcut."  
  
After taking his brother's hand, the two skeletons disappeared.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The disorienting sensation of taking a shortcut was bad enough, but the sight before the brothers when they reappeared in your living room left them both stunned. The place was wrecked. Sans immediately wondered if Frisk's warning hadn't come too late.  
  
Both brothers were pulled from their stupor as a muffled cry echoed down the otherwise eerily silent hall.  
  
Papyrus was the first to react, using his long strides to dart down the hallway, nearly skidding past your bedroom in his haste. "_____?!" he called out as he gripped the doorway to steady himself. His eyes immediately caught sight of you.  
  
You were panting and whining in pain just a few feet away from an unconscious woman with a bloody knife sitting at her side. A bright red trail of blood lead from you to a larger pool soaked into the carpet at your bedside. "Pa- hah -pyrus?"  
  
Papyrus was at your side in an instant. "_____! YOU'RE LEAKING! T-THERE'S SO MUCH!" Papyrus took in your pallid skin. He didn't need to be told that, this time, you were in actual danger of bleeding out.  
  
"shit..." Sans took in the scene from the doorway. He'd thought things had been bad the last time he'd been here, but that paled in comparison to this. His eye sockets darkened as he took in the woman with the knife. He'd seen her lurking around before. Her cyan soul, that of patience, glowed with an ominous amount of LOVE. Despite this, he'd done nothing about it. There was nothing he COULD do about it. His word about her level of violence was worthless in the human legal system. He hadn't even bothered to worry about it, since he'd only seen her sporadically at best, and she never made any attempt to approach. For all he knew, these sightings were coincidental. He knew better, now.  
  
"SANS! WE NEED TO GET HER TO A HOSPITAL **RIGHT NOW**!" Papyrus looked back at him anxiously.  
  
Sans knew what he was implying. "i... i can't bro. you know how rough shortcuts are on a person in perfect health. in her state..." Sans trailed off.  
  
"THEN WE'LL NEED TO DRIVE HER THERE." Papyrus scooped you up off the floor and you cried out in pain at the jostling movement. He gave you an apologetic look and held you gently, but close.  
  
"we don't have a car here, bro. we'll have to call an ambulance." Sans pointed out.  
  
"THAT'S NOT OUR ONLY OPTION." Papyrus stated, his face filled with grim determination as he strode quickly out of the room.  
  
Sans gave one last glare to the unconscious woman, then chased after his brother. Your health was more important right now.  
  
Papyrus was at your door by the time Sans caught up, and he deftly unlocked it and threw it open. Instead of running down the stairs like he expected, Sans watched Papyrus rush over to the apartment next door and begin pounding on the door as he cradled you in one arm.  
  
Papyrus did not stop his pounding, the door quivering under the force, until the lock clicked and it was pulled open. There stood Mike, his gun at the ready. He looked like he'd just stepped out of the shower. His eyes looked at Papyrus, then dropped to you in his arms, and all the color drained from his face.  
  
"Fuck..." He stepped aside to let Papyrus in.  
  
"WE NEED YOUR CAR!" Papyrus declared, stepping in and scooping a set of keys off the coffee table without waiting to see if they would agree.  
  
"Mike? Was that Papyrus I hear- holy fucking shit!" Pat cursed as he stepped out of the kitchen and spotted you.  
  
Papyrus was already turning to rush back out the door.  
  
"Wait!" Pat shouted, causing Papyrus to pause. Pat pulled off his shirt and handed it to Papyrus. "Press this to the wound! You need to stop as much blood from escaping as possible!"  
  
"THANK YOU, HUMANS." Papyrus responded, and then was out the door and down the stairs.  
  
Sans turned to the two men. "the woman who attacked her is unconscious in the bedroom. could you deal with her?"  
  
"Of course." Mike nodded, solemnly.  
  
With a blink of their eyes, Sans was gone.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Sans reappeared in the parking lot, just in time to see Papyrus burst through the door and beeline for a specific car. Sans ran to catch up. "papyrus!"  
  
Papyrus spared him a glance as he reached the car.  
  
"i'll drive. you keep pressure on that wound."  
  
Papyrus didn't even hesitate. He tossed the keys to Sans and slid into the backseat. You were whimpering in pain, but all Papyrus could do was speak soothingly to you and take solace in the fact that, if you were whimpering, that meant you weren't dead.  
  
Sans whipped out of the parking spot and towards the entrance to the street. However, he quickly slammed on the breaks and laid into the horn as reporters blocked the way and, realizing something was going on, began to swarm the car trying to get pictures.  
  
Sans' anger spiked, but before he could lift a finger to do anything about it, he saw all of the reporter's souls become encased in blue magic, and then gravity shifted, throwing them all out of the way. He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw both his brother's angry eye sockets glowing bright orange, the hand that wasn't supporting you held aloft as he bent the flow of gravity to his will. The sight, combined with the red stain of your blood on his hand made for a truly frightening image. "GO." he said simply.  
  
Sans didn't need to be told twice. With the way clear, he hit the gas and sped out of the parking lot. They sped along the city streets, often times doing more than twice the speed limit. It wasn't too long before the scream of sirens started up behind them. Sans did not stop, though. They couldn't afford to. Papyrus was using what little healing skill he had to try and help you, but it wouldn't be enough. The sirens, unintentionally, served to clear the roads as people pulled over to let the police pass. It wasn't long before Sans pulled sharply into the hospital's parking lot, coming to a screeching halt in front of the emergency room doors.  
  
Sans turned to Papyrus. "go. i'll deal with the cops."  
  
Papyrus nodded and leapt from the vehicle and into the emergency room, leaving his brother standing outside, arms raised in surrender, as the police confronted him.  
  
"PLEASE! SHE NEEDS HELP RIGHT NOW!" Papyrus shouted, as he rushed up to the front desk. The desk clerk took one look at your deathly pale skin, your shaky, uneven breaths, and the copious amounts of blood that stained both you and Papyrus, and immediately called for an emergency crew.  
  
Papyrus placed you on the gurney that was wheeled out for you and watched you worriedly as he was pushed back so the emergency crew could get to work. You looked so disoriented and frail. Like, at any moment, the light in your eyes would flicker out and die. He tried to follow as they started to wheel you away, but he was held back.  
  
"Sir, you can't go with them." the nurse told him, sympathetically. "Come. There's a room over here you can wait in. The doctor will come by and give you an update as soon as he can."  
  
Papyrus quietly followed the nurse to the waiting room and sat down. He stared at the blood coating his clothing and bones. Your blood. Now that he'd done everything he could, the shock was beginning to wear off and the true reality of what had happened was starting to hit him. You had been attacked in your apartment again. He had sworn that he would be there to protect you after the last time this had happened. He wasn't. And now, you might not survive.  
  
The blood washed away in streaks as tears dripped from his face and onto his shaking hands. He wasn't even aware that he'd started crying. He wasn't sure how much time had passed before the door opened and Sans walked in.  
  
"hey, bro. how're you holding up?" Sans asked gently, sitting next to his brother and running his hand along his back soothingly.  
  
"I- I..." Papyrus choked on his words, then pulled Sans into a tight embrace and began sobbing into his shoulder.  
  
Sans returned the embrace while continuing to rub circles on Papyrus' back and whispering soothing sounds to him. He waited patiently as Papyrus cried himself out. "feeling any better?"  
  
"A... A little..." Papyrus sniffled quietly before, reluctantly, releasing his brother from his grasp.  
  
"has there been any word on _____'s condition?" Sans asked.  
  
Papyrus wordlessly shook his head, no.  
  
"alright. you going to be alright if i step outside for a minute? i need to make a few phone calls."  
  
Papyrus nodded, trying to regulate his breathing around his sniffles.  
  
"don't worry, paps. _____'s in good hands. she'll be alright. just you wait and see."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
There was a beeping sound. It was annoying you. It reminded you of your alarm clock. You didn't want to wake up, though. You felt so TIRED. Despite your exhaustion, you could feel reality creeping in from the corners of your mind, dispelling the fog of sleep.  
  
When you opened your eyes, you were staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. Your eyes shifted to the beeping heart monitor at your bedside, the source of your annoyance, and the IV rack that was currently feeding into your arm. You scrunched your face at the feeling of something there, and soon realized there was a breathing tube in your nose. It was uncomfortable, and you wanted it out.  
  
You lifted your hand to do so, only for it to waver shakily before being grasped in bony hands.  
  
"_____! YOU'RE AWAKE!"  
  
You were now aware that you weren't alone. Your eyes drifted to Papyrus, who was seated at your side, looking at you in a mixture of pain and relief. His clothes were a rumpled mess, something you more expected from Sans than Papyrus.  
  
"_____!" Your attention was pulled to your other side and you were pulled into a hug by your mother. Behind her stood your father, looking tired and relieved.  
  
"I'll let the doctors know she's finally awake." he said, then stepped outside the door.  
  
Your mother reluctantly released you as he did.  
  
"How are you feeling?" she asked.  
  
You opened your mouth to respond, but found your throat painfully dry and let out a choked wheeze instead.  
  
"HERE! TRY DRINKING SOME WATER!" Papryus picked up a bottle of water from your bedside, and opened it.  
  
You tried to sit up, but collapse back onto the bed before you'd made it two inches. You were trembling with exertion from the attempt. You felt so horribly, horribly weak.  
  
"Here, let me help you." Your mother took a remote attached to the side of the bed and pressed a button. With a mechanical whir, the bed began to shift, bringing the top half of the bed into a slightly more upright position.  
  
Now that you were in a better position, Papyrus brought the bottle of water to your lips and carefully helped you drink. You coughed and sputtered a bit, but the feeling of liquid in your parched throat urged you to keep going.  
  
Shortly after you'd finished quenching your thirst, your dad returned with a doctor.  
  
"Hello, _____. My name is Doctor Williams. I'm just going to check a few things and ask you a few questions, alright?"  
  
You nodded slightly.  
  
Dr. Williams got to work checking your vitals, and started with the questions. "First off, can you speak?"  
  
You opened your mouth once again to try speaking. Despite the soothing effect of the water, your voice still sounded soft and raspy. "I think so. It still hurts a bit, even with the water."  
  
"Ah, you've already had some water? And you had no trouble drinking it?"  
  
"Not much trouble, anyway." You mother provided.  
  
"That's good. That's very good. Tell me, do you know the people in this room?"  
  
You looked at Dr. Williams funny. Of course you knew the people in the room. "Yes." you rasped out.  
  
"Excellent!" he moved on to the next check of your vitals, and the next question. "Do you know why you're here?"  
  
You thought of what had happened to you recently. The stalking. The threats. The break-in. The knife. The heart monitor began to beep rapidly, and your breathing grew labored.  
  
"Hey, hey now. It's okay. You're safe." Dr. Williams soothed, ignoring the glare from your mother at the fact that he'd clearly upset you.  
  
Bones squeezed your hand, and your attention returned to Papyrus. "HE'S RIGHT, _____. YOU'RE SAFE NOW. THAT WOMAN IS IN JAIL. SHE CAN'T HURT ANYONE ANYMORE."  
  
"She was going to kill you... She was going to kill you all... She was... She was in your room, Paps..." you rasped.  
  
"I... I KNOW. THE POLICE FOUND THE PHOTO ON YOUR PHONE DURING THE INVESTIGATION." Papyrus told you with no small amount of disquiet.  
  
Dr. Williams cleared his throat, regaining your attention. "Anyway, she won't be hurting anyone from jail. Now tell me, how are you feeling? Any pain? Nausea? Blurry vision?"  
  
You took a moment to assess yourself. "A little nauseous, but mostly I'm just tired and feel weak."  
  
Dr. Williams wrote something else down on his clipboard. "That's what we expected. It looks like everything's within normal parameters. I was a bit worried that, with the amount of blood you lost, there might be some brain damage, but it's looking like you dodged that bullet. Still, we'll be keeping a close eye on you for a while, just in case."  
  
"How long do you think she'll be in here?" your father asked.  
  
"Hm... it's a bit hard to say at this point. We'll need to keep a close eye on her while her wounds heal to make sure they don't become infected. We'll be continuing the anti-biotic treatments for at LEAST a week. The wound on her arm shouldn't be a problem, it's her abdomen we have to worry about. Honestly, when she can start physical therapy to rebuild her strength, and thus when she can go home, all depends on how quickly that wound heals. I wouldn't expect her to be ready to come home for at least a month."  
  
"Thank you, Dr. Williams." your mother said.  
  
"You're welcome. Now that I've checked on her, I have other duties I must attend to. If you need anything, do not hesitate to press the 'Call Nurse' button, and someone will be up to help you as soon as they're available. In the meantime, remember that _____ needs plenty of rest, so try not to keep her awake too long."  
  
You already felt your eyes drifting shut as Dr. Williams left the room, the small bit of excitement too much for your weakened body. "Papyrus?" you rasped sleepily.  
  
"YES?"  
  
"Stay?" you asked, squeezing his hand with what little strength you had.  
  
"ALWAYS."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess it was pretty easy to guess that Frisk would come to the rescue, though there was still room for doubt what with Reader's ability to reincarnate. In fact, Reader was even able to resist Frisk's ability to LOAD and could have chosen to reincarnate instead, but that would have left the stalker on the loose and her friends in danger. 
> 
> Of course, just because Reader survived the ordeal this time doesn't mean things are going to be right as rain. As I said, the poor girl needs some serious therapy.
> 
> Oh, and in case it wasn't clear enough, it's now canon that Reader's soul temporarily goes to the void between lives. The last time she reincarnated was before Gaster was trapped, thus why they've never met before. (Gaster mentions being there for a long time, but that's kind of a weird statement since time does not exist in the void.) Anyway, I wouldn't expect to be seeing him again unless Reader goes and dies again.
> 
> It also occurs to me that Sans is kind of playing out as a huge dick in my story. The weirdest part is, I initially planned for him to be a huge dick, but not in this way. He was suppose to be over-protective of Papyrus and one of the last hold-outs with his fear and suspicion of Reader before accepting that she's not a bad person. Instead, his dickishness is mostly stemming from him being insecure and allowing that insecurity to cloud his judgement. It's after he's already realized that Reader's not a bad person that he starts being a dick. We have it with his wariness of Reader and Papyrus being in a relationship, his fear over Reader's display of LOVE, his fear of LOAD/RESET despite the fact that he knows Frisk has never abused it... And each time he steps back and is able to look at things more objectively, he realizes he's been an ass, and feels bad about it.


	46. Those That Stand With Us

"...and so, he did." you spoke. "Papyrus, true to his word, never once left the hospital while I was recovering. The hospital staff tried to kick him out after visiting hours at first, but he refused. They almost called security on him until my parents intervened and insisted that, given the fact that a lot of people had threatened me, they would feel more secure knowing that someone they knew and trusted was with me at all times."  
  
"Speaking of your family, how did they react to finding out about your abilities and past lives?" Dr. Janice Austin, your therapist, asked.  
  
"They took it very well, actually... A little TOO well..."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"...and then, well... you saw what happened at the embassy on the news..." you concluded, awkwardly. The weight of everything you'd just told your family sat heavily on your shoulders. A part of you hadn't wanted to tell them about who you really were, but there was no easy way to avoid it anymore.  
  
The room was quiet as your family tried to understand what you'd just told them. It was a lot to process. Not so much the 'you can cast magic,' bit, as that had become well known over the past few months, but the details about your past lives, including that you were one of the mages to seal away monsters in the first place was taking a bit more to swallow.  
  
"That would explain why a lot of monsters were so freaked out by you..." Peter muttered, thinking hard over the information.  
  
"It doesn't make a lot of sense to me." Cheryl shook her head. "It's not like you're the same person, anymore, and, as you said, Moira didn't do it willingly. She was strong-armed into it."  
  
"Magic or no, you're still my little girl." your dad stated confidently.  
  
"Absolutely. I always knew you were special!" your mom smiled at you proudly. You cringed slightly.  
  
"Yeah, no kidding! I wish I was born with super-powers!" Peter grinned excitedly at the idea.  
  
"No, you really don't..." you told him flatly.  
  
"Oh, come on! Don't be that way!" Cheryl playfully teased you, ruffling your hair.  
  
"Hey! Quit it!" you batted her hand away, and she chuckled.  
  
"What powers would you want if you could have them?" Peter asked Cheryl. "I think that bone trick Papyrus and Sans can do would be really useful for me to have with Thor around. It's tough wearing him out."  
  
"Hm... I don't know..." Cheryl thought about the question. "It's tough to decide! Maybe-"  
  
"AH, HUMANS?" Papyrus interrupted them, drawing everyone's attention to him. "MAYBE THIS ISN'T THE BEST SUBJECT OF CONVERSATION?" He glanced at you, causing everyone to look over and see you were incredibly tense.  
  
"What's wrong?" your mother asked.  
  
"What's wrong? What's WRONG?!" you growled. "What's WRONG is you're all treating this like a GAME. I mean, did you listen to ANYTHING I just said?!" you snapped at them.  
  
"Of course we did, I-" you cut your father off.  
  
"Well, you clearly weren't listening very well if you think being a human with magic is FUN or DESIRABLE!" Tears were forming in your eyes. "Do you understand how much I've been through because of this? Have you forgotten that I was NEARLY KILLED because of my magic?!"  
  
"Sweetheart-"  
  
"Don't 'sweetheart,' me, mom! None of you get it! None of you know what it's like to be stabbed, or beaten, or hanged, or **burned alive** simply because you **possess magic!** " Tears were streaming down your face now. You felt bony fingers trying to comfort you as they held your own. "None of you understand that this happens EVERY TIME my secret gets out. I'm hated, scorned, and **hunted**... and it's already happening again..." the fingers of your free hand traveled to your abdomen, feeling the bumps of the stitches underneath the thin hospital gown.  
  
The room was quiet aside from your heavy breathing as you tried to hold back your sobs. Your entire family looked regretful over having upset you so badly.  
  
"_____..." Papyrus spoke up. "PLEASE DON'T BE UPSET... THEY DIDN'T MEAN IT THAT WAY..."  
  
"I'm sorry..." Peter spoke up guiltily. "I was just trying to lighten the mood... To... To show you that, even if others are afraid of your magic, I'm not."  
  
"Yeah, it doesn't matter what anyone else says, you're still our sister." Cheryl added in.  
  
"We'll always love you." your mother spoke soothingly.  
  
" **Every** part of you." your father emphasized.  
  
You were a bit calmer now. You knew they hadn't meant to hurt you, but it was still a very sensitive subject. A bony thumb rubbed circles into the back of your hand.  
  
"YOU SEE? YOU DON'T NEED TO BE SO AFRAID. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO LOVE YOU VERY MUCH AND ARE MORE THAN WILLING TO SUPPORT AND PROTECT YOU." Papyrus soothed. "YOU JUST NEED TO LET US. I KNOW IT ISN'T EASY RIGHT NOW, BUT THINGS WILL GET BETTER. I PROMISE."  
  
As much as you needed to hear those words, you couldn't help but be doubtful. Your life was hell and, friends and family at your side or no, all you could see in your future was darkness.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"But things did get better, didn't they?" Dr. Austin prompted.  
  
"Yes... they did... although, it took some time. I struggled with my depression for a while. It was actually Alphys who convinced me to try the medication the doctor recommended to help me deal with it. She told me that she, too, struggles with depression sometimes, but monsters don't have any sort of medication for it. I guess that's one of the things that's being worked on in monster medical research."  
  
"When did you first realize that things weren't hopeless?"  
  
"Well... It wasn't anything big, but it was on one of the days that Sans came to visit..."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You were having one of your bad days when Sans entered the room, carrying a floral arrangement. "heya, filly."  
  
"Filly??" you asked, confused out of your depressive thoughts.  
  
"figure you must be more baby horse than baby goat, given that **long face.** " Sans winked.  
  
"UGH! SANS, THAT WAS TERRIBLE!"  
  
"That WAS terrible." You couldn't stop the snort of amusement. "Are you implying that, every time you call someone 'kid', you're actually calling them a baby goat, then?"  
  
"nah. only if it'll **get their goat.** " he smirked at Papyrus. "right, kid?"  
  
"SANS!" Papyrus huffed in irritation. "I AM A SKELETON, NOT A GOAT! EVEN IF THEY ARE ADORABLE..."  
  
You smiled as you tried to hold back your laughter.  
  
"what? you don't like the **ram** ifications of me calling you, kid?" Sans was grinning now.  
  
"THIS IS A HOSPITAL, SANS! IT'S NO PLACE FOR YOUR INFERNAL PUNNING!"  
  
"but _____ is already in **stitches**!"  
  
You covered your face as you snickered at that. Papyrus just covered his face and groaned, though you could see him smiling in relief at your improved mood behind his hands.  
  
You spoke up again once your giggles died down. "Thanks, Sans. I really needed that."  
  
"any time." Sans returned your smile, and Papyrus just looked happy and relieved that the two of you were getting along again. "anyway, i, uh, got a gift here for you."  
  
Sans handed you the floral arrangement. "Oh! Thanks." you looked over the array of flowers.  
  
"uh, it's not really from me. i'm just the delivery guy." Sans admitted.  
  
"OH? WHO IS IT FROM?"  
  
"here. they gave me a letter for you to go with it." Sans handed you a rather thick envelope.  
  
"Hm?" you handed the arrangement over to Papyrus and opened the envelope. Inside was a letter from your neighbors, Pat and Mike, and a stack of pictures. You started reading the letter.  
  
_"_____,_  
  
_It's not much, but we hope the flowers make you feel better as you recover. Sans was absolutely no help with picking them out, so we kind of had to make a wild guess about what kind you liked. Also, we hope you can forgive us for not being better neighbors. You getting attacked right next door to us once was bad enough, but twice is unacceptable. We feel absolutely terrible that we weren't there to help you._  
  
_The landlord told us last week that you canceled your lease on your apartment. I don't think anyone would question you on why after everything that's happened. Just know that you'll be missed, and we hope you're able to feel safe and comfortable wherever you go._  
  
_It may be too little, too late with regards to you, but we wanted you to know that everyone in our building, and in fact the entire neighborhood, has rallied together to take a stand against violence and crime in our community. We've established a neighborhood watch, and the neighborhood has banded together to purchase and convert your old apartment into a security office where anyone, be they resident, stranger, human, or monster may go if they're in need of help. We've included pictures of the remodeling we've been doing, too. You should have seen Mike when I accidentally spilled some orange paint on his head! He looked like an oompa loompa!_  
  
_We hope you can take some comfort in the fact that you have brought a community together, and, though you are no longer our neighbor, you'll always be a friend. Should you ever find yourself in need, our door is always open for you._  
  
_Love,_  
  
_Pat and Mike"_  
  
The next several pages of the letter were filled with well-wishes and encouragement from people throughout the neighborhood.  
  
You looked through the photos of your old apartment. It hadn't been that long, really, but the place looked completely different! It had been repainted in warm colors, the furniture had been replaced and lots of little details had been added. There was a security desk in the living room, and posters with information for various help services including police and fire department, suicide hotline, support website for those suffering from abuse, children's services, lawyers, safe taxi and shuttle services... The works. The bedrooms had been revamped with multiple beds each, for anyone managing the office, and anyone who could not return home for whatever reason. The window that lead to the fire escape, the point of weakness when you lived there, now featured sturdier glass, and a window gate, which latched on the inside, and bore an elegant design to avoid having a prison-like feel. This was, apparently, a feature being added to all the fire escape windows.  
  
You couldn't help but smile, tears pricking at your eyes, as this one little neighborhood, even the people you really didn't know, rallied together in your honor. It wasn't anything big, just a promise to watch out for each other and extend a helping hand to those who seek it, but it was touching none-the-less.  
  
It was just a tiny spark, but it filled you with hope.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"So, your neighbors reaching out to you helped you?"  
  
"Yeah. My friends and neighbors from when I lived with my parents did, too. My parents brought flowers, cards, and gifts from them not long after. I mean, it's really not much, but..." you trailed off, hesitantly.  
  
"...But when you feel like the whole world is against you, the support of those around you means a lot." Dr. Austin finished for you.  
  
"Yeah..." you smiled softly at the memory.  
  
"They were not the only ones to reach out to you, though, were they?"  
  
"No. Shortly after all that, I got my next big surprise..."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"_____!!" You were startled from watching The Price is Right, also known as 'the only worthwhile show that isn't reruns at this time of day,' by Mariana as she burst into your room and threw her arms around you. Alphys was not far behind her.  
  
"H-hey, Mariana... Alphys..." you awkwardly returned the hug and greeted your two friends.  
  
"Hey..." Alphys smiled shyly.  
  
"WHILE IT IS GREAT TO SEE YOU TWO HERE VISITING, DON'T YOU NORMALLY WORK AT THIS TIME OF DAY?" Papyrus asked.  
  
Mariana got a devious look on her face. "We're playing hooky!"  
  
Alphys' eyes went wide and she began to sputter, "W-We are not!"  
  
"Well... maybe we're not, but it's more fun to think of it that way..." Mariana admitted.  
  
You gave Alphys a quizzical look, and she explained. "We're actually here on company business, today. Mr. Malintowski wanted us to give you something."  
  
"O-Oh...?" Logically, you knew it couldn't be anything BAD, since neither Alphys nor Mariana seemed upset about it, but you couldn't stop the feeling of anxiety, regardless.  
  
"That's right!" Mariana beamed. "Not only do we get to visit you, but we're getting PAID to do so! It's a win-win situation!"  
  
"Here... This is for you." Alphys pulled a rather official-looking envelope out of the pocket of her lab coat and gave it to you.  
  
You opened the envelope and began to read the letter inside.  
  
_"Dear _____,_  
  
_Please accept my deepest sympathies for your recent injuries. I hope that your recovery is a swift one, and know that your job at Mount Ebott Entrepreneurial Technologies will be waiting for you once you are recovered._  
  
_I understand the difficulties you must face, and regret that they may have been exasperated by troubles at work. Despite what many think, I am not oblivious to the rumors that circulate MEET Co. We pride ourselves on being a place of open acceptance, as our slogan states, we strive to be 'a place where humans and monsters meet to build a better future,' and a future that includes discrimination is not a future we are willing to accept. As such, we have been in the process of re-evaluating our policies and employee training to better promote understanding of others._  
  
_However, it seems that myself and Human Resources are not the only ones who have been hard at work addressing this issue. One of our employees, a friend of yours named Mariana Wilcott, has been actively working to address the inequity you have faced by working directly with her fellow employees. As such, at the request of employees throughout MEET Co, a pool was started to help off-set your medical expenses. This pool has been open to all associates, and is completely optional, but I am proud to say that the majority of our employees have contributed, with many including cards to express their apologies for how they treated you, and well-wishes in your recovery. Included in this envelope is a check for the total donations that have been collected._  
  
_I know that healing takes time and can be a difficult process, but I hope this makes things a little easier. Just remember that all of MEET Co. stands with you, and awaits your return when you are ready._  
  
_Hugs and kisses!_  
  
_Mal-Mal"_  
  
Your eyebrow quirked up at the ending. Beneath it, written in pen, was a post script.  
  
_"Please excuse Jaina's choice of closing, as I most certainly DID NOT instruct her to write it that way, but she insists that it remain as-is. - Malcolm Malintowski, CEO of Mount Ebott Entrepreneurial Technologies."_  
  
Below **that** , in a different handwriting, was another post script.  
  
_"I regret nothing! Get better soon! - Love, Jaina <3"_  
  
You were chuckling by the time you finished.  
  
"WHAT DID THE LETTER SAY?" Papyrus asked curiously.  
  
"Long story short, it said that Mariana is a miracle-worker." you smiled.  
  
Mariana gave everyone a long, exaggerated bow. "Thank you! Thank you!" She looked up at you and smiled, softly and sincerely. "I told you all you needed was some good PR."  
  
"How did you do it?" You asked, still in disbelief that she'd managed to restore your, frankly obliterated, reputation at work.  
  
"I told them the truth, and challenged them to see things through your eyes." Mariana shrugged, like it was no big deal.  
  
"THE TRUTH?" Papyrus asked quizzically.  
  
Alphys was smiling. "She gushed about how great you are to everybody who would listen."  
  
"And everybody who didn't want to listen, too." Mariana snorted. "No one just walks away from me when I'm talking to them." she grumbled indignantly.  
  
"...And?" you prompted, wanting details.  
  
"Basically, I told them all the shit you've been through." she stated, then quickly amended, "None of the stuff you told me not to tell anyone about though!"  
  
"Basically, she pointed out how you befriended Papyrus, myself, and other influential monsters, and wound up being attacked for it. Despite that, you remained friends with all of us, and even fell in love and started dating Papyrus. When the riot happened, you risked everything by revealing your magic to protect monsters, and wound up suffering the consequences." Alphys explained.  
  
"There were some who pointed out that you flipped out and tried to kill a bunch of people at the embassy. Some of the monsters even admitted to me that they'd either heard rumors or were there to witness your high amount of LOVE. So, I asked them tell me any other time they'd heard of you acting out like that. Of course, none of them could think of a single example. I then pointed out that the only time it ever happened was when your friends' very lives were at stake. It was an extreme, nearly hopeless situation, and you did what you had to do to protect the ones you loved. Even afterwards, you wound up almost dying for it."  
  
"...Or actually dying for it..." you mumbled under your breath.  
  
"WHAT WAS THAT?"  
  
"Ah, nothing."  
  
"Anyway, as for the whole attempted murder thing... I then pointed out that you didn't actually kill anyone. You may have been tempted, but in the end, you didn't go through with it. And who wouldn't have been tempted? They're a bunch of despicable thugs who were threatening the lives of an entire people, and even the ones who were caught at the embassy will probably get a slap on the wrist compared to what they SHOULD be getting, all because a bunch of idiot politicians can't get their heads out of their asses long enough to realize that monsters are just as much people as humans are! Who wouldn't be frustrated and angry knowing that justice cannot be served as it should, and that the perpetrators will be out in just a few short months or years and back to their despicable ways?" Mariana was practically ranting by the end. It was clear that the inequity towards monsters was a hot-button topic with her. "Most at least begrudgingly agreed that they could understand why you would have been tempted to kill the rioters. Some even admitted that they thought the rioters should have been killed. The only argument any had left was that you'd attacked monsters, too. That you'd even tried to kill Sans. Of course, they got REAL quiet when I asked them who had attacked first." Mariana told you, smugly.  
  
_"Of course, they did try to talk me out of it before they got to that point..."_ you cringed to yourself.  
  
"That was enough to make most people realize you're not the terrible person they thought you were. I was able to cement that notion, and convince the remaining doubters by telling them what lead up to you being in the hospital this time. I told them that you were being stalked and harassed, and that you put your friends safety before your own by trying to push us away in the hopes that the dangerous people stalking you would overlook us. This meant you were all alone, putting you in even greater danger, but you accepted the fear and suffering because you thought it would protect the rest of us. In the end, you nearly DIED because you were trying to protect us." Mariana was looking at you with a look of utter grief and sympathy over the thought of what you had suffered through all by yourself for their sake.  
  
"Once people started talking about what Mariana had told them, and once even the greatest doubters began to waver, it didn't take long for that positive opinion of you to spread throughout the whole company." Alphys spoke up.  
  
"Now you're practically a folk hero at work! People are talking about how much you've endured for the sake of your friendships with monsters, and how you've pioneered the way for others!" Mariana was grinning now.  
  
"What?? I haven't done anything special... There are plenty of people who are friends with monsters..." you were blushing slightly at the idea.  
  
"IT MAY NOT SEEM LIKE THAT BIG OF A DEAL TO YOU, BUT TO MANY YOU COULD BE A ROLE MODEL, SOMEONE TO LOOK UP TO WHO SHOWS THAT, NO MATTER HOW HARD OTHERS MAY TRY TO KEEP US APART, LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN HUMANS AND MONSTERS IS SOMETHING WORTH FIGHTING FOR." Papyrus was beaming at you proudly.  
  
You blushed even deeper at the praise. "Thank you, guys... I don't know what I'd do without you."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"That must have been a boost to your confidence." Dr. Austin commented.  
  
"It was. After so many monsters had rejected me after the riot, I was afraid there was no way to salvage things. I thought they'd never be willing to forgive me for everything that had happened. Not after I lost control like that. This was only a small percentage of monsters, but they were willing to give me the benefit of the doubt... It was more than I had ever hoped for..."  
  
"What about the other monsters?  
  
"Well... most still wanted nothing to do with me. I did find out that the Royal Guard and Muffet still thought well of me. Undyne came in to visit with Greater Dog, who was sad that he'd been sick with anti-freeze poisoning and hadn't been there to try and help me. Muffet, meanwhile, gave them a bag of my favorite pastries and a card inviting me back to the reopening of her bakery once I was recovered. Apparently the riot incident hadn't changed her opinion of me, and the only reason she hadn't contacted me sooner was because she was so focused on rebuilding."  
  
"I did not realize you were on such good terms with her."  
  
"Apparently she takes the safety of her spiders very seriously. Since I went out of my way to save one of them, that meant there was no doubt in her mind that I'm a good person."  
  
"Hm. Interesting." Dr. Austin consulted her notes for a moment. "What about Mettaton? I've heard that he practically sings your praises."  
  
"Oh, god... Mettaton... Sometimes, the only adequate way to describe him is just... **Mettaton**..."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"Holy, crap! Is there even any room for you in here?" Undyne griped as she stared at the arrangement that took up at least a quarter of the available space. The flower arrangement featured a 7-foot tall topiary trimmed into the shape of Mettaton's humanoid form, posed dramatically with a rose gripped in his teeth, surrounded by a white flower arch that used golden flowers to spell out 'Get Well Soon, Darling!' The arch itself was then rimmed by flowers arranged to look like bursting fireworks. The base had flowers forming what appeared to be a colored tile floor, and solar-powered spotlights shining up at topiary Mettaton.  
  
"IT'S FROM METTATON!" Papyrus told her excitedly.  
  
"I kind of guessed." Undyne replied flatly.  
  
"There was a note card with it. It's kind of cryptic. It just said to tune in to channel 5 at 7:30. We were just about to turn on the TV." You explained.  
  
"Just what is that guy up to now?" Undyne asked, somewhat suspiciously. Your parents, who were settled on the side of your bed that wasn't being taken over by robot-shaped plant-life, gave her a confused look at her tone.  
  
"THERE'S ONE WAY TO FIND OUT!" Papyrus grinned, seemingly oblivious to Undyne's suspicion, and clicked the remote to turn on the TV.  
  
The show on TV was a really popular evening talk show. The five of you settled in to watch as comfortably as you could, with Papyrus settling on the bed next to you at your prompting to allow Undyne to sit in his chair, although it took a bit of awkward maneuvering to get around the arrangement and position the chair in a way that meant she could see the TV. In the meantime, the host, Stephen, seemed to have finished warming up the crowd.  
  
"And now it's time for our first special guest! He's the sexiest rectangle you'll ever meet, and has legs for days! Your favorite robot-monster actor and mine, Mettaton!"  
  
There was raucous applause, and the lights dimmed. Spotlights lit up a doorway filled with smoke, and through that smoke, a shape appeared. "Oh, **yes!** " intoned a familiar voice before one sleek leg kicked forward, revealing itself through the smoke and causing the audience to scream and whistle even louder. The smoke began to clear and revealed a posing Mettaton, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. Finally, his entrance complete, he strode over to the guest couch and sat down. There was a good 2 minutes of the audience just going bonkers before they were convinced to calm down enough so the interview could begin. Metatton looked utterly pleased, and Stephen playfully made a show of checking his watch.  
  
"I was beginning to wonder if the next 25 minutes was just going to be your fans screaming." Stephen chuckled.  
  
"We love you Mettaton!~" came a shout from the crowd.  
  
Mettaton chuckled as well. "I do have the most wonderfully enthusiastic fans."  
  
"Anyway, welcome to the show! It's great to have you here! To be honest, I thought they were pulling my leg when they told me you were going to be here."  
  
"You shouldn't be so surprised, dear Stephen! I am a big fan of your show, and it's an honor to be here this evening!"  
  
Stephen turned to someone off-camera. "You hear that? Mettaton's a fan! How's that raise sounding now?" he joked, then turned back to Mettaton. "Anyway, back on point. So, I'm told you're working on a new movie?"  
  
"Ah, yes! It's this little script I picked up on my last trip to Hollywood. The writer is an untested talent, but from what I've read, I can tell you right now she's going to make it big!" Mettaton boasted.  
  
"So you actually took the time to read a script from someone unknown? Most people wouldn't give them the time of day."  
  
"Well, of course I did, darling! When someone entrusts you with something they've put their blood, sweat, and tears into writing, the least you can do is read it! I read all my fan mail as well! After all, what is an actor without an audience?"  
  
"That's quite commendable! It must be quite a feat with your busy schedule."  
  
"Powerful processors help." Metatton smiled.  
  
"Speaking of you and the previously unknown, I've heard that you are acquainted with a certain magical human woman who's been all over the news for the past couple months."  
  
"Ah, you are referring to _____. Yes, she is a dear friend of mine."  
  
"There's a lot of mystery surrounding her. She was first thrust into the spotlight during the Monstertown Riots in Ebott City when she displayed the ability to use magic by stopping the rioters attacking the embassy. Besides anonymous accusations that she had intended to kill the rioters, there has been no comment from her on what happened or about her abilities in general. Now, I've heard that she's in the hospital. Is there anything you can share with us today about everything that's been going on?"  
  
"I cannot really comment on the events at the embassy, as I was not there myself, but I can assure you that _____ is the sweetest, most kind woman you will ever meet. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that anything she did was for the benefit of the terrified monsters inside."  
  
"And what about her ability to use magic? Is it something she was born with? Something she got from monsters?"  
  
"Born with, I believe. It is a very special gift; one that should be viewed with pride and admiration. It is unfortunate that so many do not."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"It is the reason she is in the hospital as we speak. Some individuals began to lash out at poor, sweet _____ after finding out about her magic. She was verbally and physically harassed and abused, simply for being different. She also was stalked by one individual who wound up breaking into her home and trying to kill her!" Mettaton's face was aghast with horror at the very notion.  
  
"What?!" Stephan gasped as well.  
  
Mettaton looked grieved as he continued. "It's true. She was found within her apartment, which had also been vandalized, bleeding from a nasty knife wound to the stomach. She was living alone at the time, and had the brothers not gone to check up on her at that very moment..." Metatton trailed off, allowing the audience to infer the implications.  
  
"Why was she living alone? I thought she was living with some monsters in Monstertown?"  
  
"Ah, that's the thing. She is far too caring for her own good. It seems that her stalker threatened more than just her. She actually tried to push her own friends away to keep them out of danger."  
  
"That seems kind of foolish. Why didn't she go to the police?"  
  
"And what would they have done? Monsters are not considered citizens. They would have been the lowest priority."  
  
"It is, indeed, an unfortunate situation monsters are in."  
  
"It is more than unfortunate, Stephen. It is downright **abominable**. No people should have to prove their worthiness of being considered people, just as no person should feel the need to cower within the confines of their own home, fearful of what others might do to their friends." Mettaton stated vehemently.  
  
"You are right, of course. My apologies."  
  
"That is quite alright, Stephen. You are not the one responsible for this situation." Mettaton soothed.  
  
"Unfortunately, it looks like it's time for our first commercial break. When we return, Mettaton and his band will be giving us a special musical performance, so stay tuned!"  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"How did you feel about Mettaton talking about you on live TV?"  
  
"I was conflicted, really. He said nothing but good things about me, but I couldn't help but be anxious about being the center of attention. Ultimately, things turned out for the better, though."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"Well, you already know how famous Mettaton is. His popularity makes him very influential. So, after he went on TV and talked about how wonderful and kind I was, I started receiving letters and messages of support from his fans from all around the world. It was honestly probably the biggest contributing factor in me being accepted by society. There was only one other event that came close."  
  
"And what event was that?"  
  
"It was a press release held at the Monster Embassy, where I learned first-hand just why monsters had entrusted such an important role as ambassador to a small, wayward child..."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The crowd murmured amongst themselves as they stood outside the embassy. News crews were giving their equipment a few last minute tests before the event officially started. Security was understandably tight, but any news station worth their salt was there. It wasn't every day that the ambassador between humans and monsters gave a speech.  
  
It had taken a lot of time and effort, but Frisk had been determined to make this happen. As much as their mom and dad tried to protect them from the harsh realities of life and politics, Frisk knew that, as the ambassador between humans and monsters, it was their job to take a stand and work on uniting the two races, and they couldn't do that if they continued to allow themself to be coddled and hidden.  
  
Frisk peeked out the front door of the embassy to where a podium and stool had been set up for them. The crowd gathered was large and filled with both humans and monsters. Both the police force and royal guard were out in force, ensuring the event was safe.  
  
"Are you nervous?" A deep voice rumbled behind them.  
  
Frisk glanced back to where Asgore and Toriel stood and shook their head vehemently, no.  
  
Toriel gave Frisk a knowing smile. "It is alright if you are, you know. Leadership and public speaking are not easy things, especially when you're just starting out."  
  
Frisk mulled over Toriel's words before signing. 'This is something I need to do. I can't afford to be afraid.'  
  
Asgore smiled down at Frisk. "Everyone is afraid at least once in a while. There is nothing wrong with that. What differentiates a leader is in how they manage that fear. The greatest leaders are able to push forward and do what needs to be done to better the lives of their people, despite their fears."  
  
Some of the tension Frisk had been carrying left them. Honestly, they were nervous, and the idea that, if they wanted things to go well, they couldn't be nervous had just compounded it. Now that they'd been reassured that what they were feeling was perfectly normal, the extra anxiety ebbed away. 'Thank you.' Frisk signed, smiling at their adoptive parents.  
  
"Do not worry, my child. While this speech may be yours, we will be right there beside you."  
  
Frisk felt buoyed by their support, and ran over to hug first Toriel, then Asgore.  
  
"If you're done being sappy, it looks like it's time for you to get out there." Flowey grumbled from a nearby windowsill.  
  
Frisk blew Flowey a kiss, at which he just rolled his eyes. Then, after taking a moment to ready themself, Frisk stepped out the door. The flash of cameras immediately lit up the area, but that didn't bother Frisk. They walked forward more confidently than they felt. They paused upon reaching the podium and examined it for the first time. Then, before anyone could help them up onto the stool provided for them, Frisk strode past it. Being so far back, hidden behind a podium felt too impersonal. That just wasn't who Frisk was, and it wasn't like they needed the microphone. Instead, they stopped in front of the podium, right at the edge of the stairs, as close as they could get without descending them.  
  
Frisk waited for Asgore and Toriel to join them and for the crowd to hush and give them their undivided attention before beginning to sign. 'Good afternoon. As most of you probably know, my name is Frisk Dreemurr, and I am the ambassador between humans and monsters. Over two years ago, I climbed up Mount Ebott and wound up falling into the underground where monsters were sealed. After a long and difficult journey, I managed to befriend the people I met there and helped free them from their centuries-long confinement. Since then, I've done very little to fulfill my role as ambassador, and for that I'm sorry. However, that is something I intend to fix starting today.' Frisk stood, strong and determined.  
  
'For centuries, our peoples have lived separated by the barrier around Mount Ebott. In that time, each race has steeped the other in myths, cautionary tales, and legends. Monsters told their children, and their children's children the story of how they once lived on the surface, only to be attacked and driven underground by the fearful and aggressive humans. Humans, meanwhile, passed down tales of terrifyingly frightful creatures of all shapes and sizes that once roamed the earth, instilling in them the terrible connotations of the term 'monster' that we have today.'  
  
'It was not until recently that these notions began to be challenged. When I fell into the underground, most monsters were cautious and fearful. Humans were a terrible enemy to them, one that had hurt them deeply. However, it is not in their nature to hate, and so, with each monster I met, I was able to show them that not all humans are the merciless beings they believed we were. By the time I reached the end of the caverns, the entire underground had grown to love and accept me. To them, I was a symbol of hope. A sign that peace between our races was not impossible. That humans, as flawed as we are, are just as capable of love and compassion as they are.'  
  
'When we finally emerged onto the surface, we were met with fear at first... However, that was quickly overshadowed by humanity's greatest trait: our curiosity. Humans were fascinated by monsters, tales of whom had long since been relegated as fiction. Despite everything we'd been told, monsters were kind and friendly, and had so much to share with us. Laws were established in record time to allow for monsters to begin living amongst humans. Ebott City grew drastically in both size, and wealth with the addition of its new monster residents. Things seemed to be going so well. Then, the novelty wore off, and people began to grow complacent, allowing the minority, who did not want to accept monsters, to grow in power and stymie the integration of monsters into our society. Thus, we come to the problems we face today.'  
  
'I do not believe that most humans want monsters to be oppressed. They view monsters in the same way they view all their other friends and neighbors. However, just like the problems of other races or countries, because these problems don't directly affect them, they tend to overlook and ignore them. In fact, that is what the minority who block monsters from being accepted as citizens are counting on. So long as the majority remains silent, they are free to subjugate an entire people, simply by refusing to see them as people. It is time that we humans show monsters how far we have progressed as a society. To show them that we will not stand by while others are treated unfairly! It is time to show them just how deeply our love and compassion runs!' Frisk signed, the motions of their hands sharp and clear. Their declaration filled the crowd with determination, and was followed with enthusiastic cheers and applause.  
  
Once the crowd quieted down a bit, Frisk once again began to sign. 'The oppression of monsters is not the only issue we need to address today. For, as compassionate and kind as monsters can be, they are not without their flaws.' Frisk glanced around the monsters in the crowd, who were glancing at each other in confusion over what the ambassador would be scolding them over. 'There exists one person who has been rejected by both humans and monsters for her differences. That person is _____.' The crowd began to murmur at the mention of your name. 'As much as monsters considered humans their enemies while they were trapped, none were vilified like the human mages who imprisoned them. It did not matter that she had the love and friendship of numerous influential monsters, when it was revealed that _____ possessed barrier magic, the fear and distrust born from that war centuries ago took hold of the citizens of Monstertown, and they began to treat _____ as a pariah. It did not matter that she used her magic to end the attack on the embassy, saving countless innocent lives in the process; as much as I was a symbol of the hopes of monsters, she was a symbol of their fears. And as a symbol of their fears, it did not matter who she called a friend or how she acted; all it took was one mistake, and she was rejected.' The monsters in attendance were shifting awkwardly at being called out on this.  
  
'Monsters were not alone in this. Humanity, too, treated her like a freak. She was either some bizarre creature to be harassed and ogled, or a terrifying abomination to be threatened and attacked. Everyone was so concerned about what made her different, that no one took the time to see that she was a person like any other who was suffering under their scrutiny.' Frisk was giving a stern look to the members of the press, many of whom at least had the sense to look embarrassed or ashamed. '_____ was brought so low by these events, that she had no one to turn to when the threats became real, so, being the selfless person she is, she isolated herself to try and keep those few of us who stood by her out of danger. This action nearly cost her her life.' Frisk was grim and serious as they addressed the crowd, most of whom seemed conflicted between fear of you, and shame for their actions.  
  
'There was a time, too, when I was afraid.' Frisk started again. 'When I fell into the underground, all I knew of monsters were the stories humans used to tell. This was made worse by the actions of most monsters when I first met them.' Frisk gave the monsters in the audience a significant look. Although humans had never been told of it, monsters knew very well that many of their kind had tried to kill Frisk to collect their soul. 'However, the more monsters I met and got to know, the more I realized that they didn't want to be scary. They were just desperately searching for that little bit of hope that one day they'd be free. Sure, they may have made some mistakes, we all do, but a wise monster once told me that it doesn't matter if we make mistakes, even big ones. What matters is that we learn from those mistakes and work on becoming better people. So long as a person is working to better themself, the biggest mistake we can make is to give up on them. It's for that reason that, no matter how frightened I got or how bad a monster seemed to be to me, I refused to give up on them.' Frisk was smiling fondly as that thought brought up certain memories. Flowey, listening from his spot on the windowsill, blushed and looked away. Frisk returned their gaze to the crowd, bold determination brimming in their eyes. '_____ is not the terrible person you think she is. Many of you got to know her and cared for her before the events at the embassy tainted your perspective. Just as I was able to see the good in all of you, won't you take a moment to see the good in her?'  
  
The crowd murmured for a few moments as they took in Frisk's words. The moment of hesitation was broken as one solitary person began to clap. Eyes turned to Azzy, who stood tall and determined next to Sarah in the audience, clapping slowly but loudly. Soon, others began to join him. Then more. Then others began to cheer. Soon, the entire crowd was united. They had judged you harshly for your mistakes. They had treated you with fear and distrust, even when they themselves were hardly innocent. Humanity did not know, but they had once hunted those unfortunate enough to stumble into the underground, all with the intent of escaping and reclaiming the surface by force. Yet, despite everything they'd done, Frisk had managed to unite them, give them back their hope, and grant them their freedom. Wasn't giving you a chance the least they could do in return?  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"It sounds like the young ambassador had quite an influence on them." Dr. Austin commented.  
  
"They did. Frisk really has a way with people." you smiled fondly. "I was met with quite the welcome when I returned to Papyrus and Sans' house a few days later. Most of the monsters felt bad for the way they'd treated me. I mean, I couldn't blame them after I'd snapped at the embassy, but the fact that they were willing to give me another chance was, quite frankly, a miracle."  
  
Dr. Austin gave a non-committal hum of acknowledgement, then glanced at the clock. "Unfortunately, that's all the time we have for today's session. You've made quite a bit of progress since we first started."  
  
"Thanks. It helps having the support of so many people, now."  
  
"Indeed. People often don't realize how important the connections we share with others are. Things were certainly difficult for a while, but you are lucky to have such a supportive group of friends."  
  
"I am." you smiled, then taking a breath, you spoke as you stood up. "I just hope I can help them in return."  
  
"Oh? Are you considering what we discussed in the last session?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Just remember that, as far as you've come, your recovery is still a work in progress. Pushing yourself outside your comfort zone a bit is fine, but do not push yourself too hard. Keep things small."  
  
"I will. Thanks for your help, Dr. Austin."  
  
"You're welcome. I'll see you next week."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you guys that Reader needed therapy. ;) 
> 
> Reader was in a bad place after waking up in the hospital. However, her friends really pulled through for her. By standing up for her, they have helped sway public opinion in her favor. 
> 
> You are not as alone as you thought, Reader. Stand tall, and stay Determined.


	47. To Find Peace, One Must Learn to ACT

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  **IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR ALL READERS:**  
>   
> 
> As of next week, the rating for this fan fiction will be changed from Mature to Explicit. As you might guess, things will be getting quite heated soon. As usual, those types of sections are completely optional reading, and will be marked for anyone who is not interested in them. 
> 
> This notice is mostly to warn you guys so you know that it won't come up when searching for Mature rated fics anymore. I would guess most of you have it bookmarked or saved somewhere, but it only seemed fair to warn you, just in case. 
> 
> That said, enjoy the latest chapter!

"it's decreasing again." Sans told Alphys as he lounged lazily in her home lab.  
  
"Then our theory is correct?" Alphys watched him hopefully.  
  
"not our theory. your theory. i just helped confirm it. but, yeah. seems so."  
  
"Should we tell her? I mean, there's still so many details we don't understand..."  
  
"we should, especially if i'm right about her mending ability."  
  
"She DID start recovering at a faster rate when you started asking the doctor for more details about her injuries when he visited her room to check on her." Alphys pointed out.  
  
"well, there's one way to find out..."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Papyrus watched you tap away on your laptop as you sat in the center of the couch, with him on one side of you and Doctor Alphys on the other. It was good to have you home again. He had been so incredibly worried about you, he probably would have lost weight from stress and not eating properly if it were possible for a skeleton to do so. After you'd woken up in the hospital, things had been... difficult. There had been good days and bad days. Mostly bad. It had hurt so much to see you suffering both physically and emotionally, but he had refused to leave your side. He had been too busy wallowing in his own self-pity to be there for you when you needed him before, and he refused to do that to you again. Eventually, you agreed to start taking the medication for your depression and to start talking to a therapist. It was tough going at first, and he lamented the fact that he was not allowed in the room while you were having one of your sessions, but he was back the moment he was allowed, and, after a bit of time, he started seeing the improvements. You started sleeping better, you'd smile a bit when Sans would set him off by getting into a pun-war with the Queen, you reminisced with your family...  
  
Public opinion of you also seemed to grow more sympathetic, thanks to the hard work of your friends. It was becoming much more common for the people denouncing you to be called out on their hatred and shut down. Admittedly, he was a bit ill-at-ease by those who vehemently argued that you would have been justified killing the rioters, but at least they were not advocating going out and hurting them now. Mostly. You had been absolutely stunned by the welcome home you received when you were finally released from the hospital. Monsters and humans from all over town had gathered to show their support. Not only did this deter the normal harassers, but Papyrus had noticed the reporters were on their best behavior as well. You had been moved to tears by that.  
  
Sans yawned lazily from the armchair he was sinking into, and Undyne, who was seated on the arm of the couch next to Alphys, shot him a disgruntled look at how he could be sleepy when the day had barely started. Finally, you finished the last puzzle on the game Alphys had asked you to play-test for her. Honestly, they had been kind of basic, as far as Papyrus was concerned, but he was proud of you, anyway! Perhaps the next version of the game would feature more challenging puzzles? Like Junior Jumble?  
  
"Well... it wasn't too bad. Still a bit basic, and the load time at the start tells me there's some kinks to work out on that. Other than that, it's a good start!" you told Alphys.  
  
Alphys exchanged a look with Sans. He looked utterly pleased with himself. "That confirms your theory. Though I'm surprised it was able to effect a program like that."  
  
"who **code** have guessed?" Sans grinned.  
  
"UGH..." Papyrus grunted in annoyance.  
  
"I can't help but feel I'm missing something here..." Undyne said, suspiciously from the arm of the couch where she's been watching you play the game.  
  
You looked between Alphys and Sans, confused by their cryptic comments. "Was there something wrong with the game?" you asked.  
  
"yep. though you're only getting a **C++** from me, 'cause you're only halfway to guessing the theory." Sans smirked.  
  
"What theory??" you asked.  
  
"The theory Sans had about your Mend ability." Alphys told you. She then explained. "Sans theorized that your ability to Mend is based off your knowledge of how things work."  
  
"AND HOW DID PLAYING YOUR GAME PROVE THAT?" Papyrus asked, confused.  
  
"I intentionally broke the game. It was able to compile, but it should not have played properly. The theory was that _____'s knowledge of computers and coding would allow her magic to fix the broken program. I didn't think she'd be able to effect something as intangible as code in a program, but it looks like she can." Alphys explained.  
  
"Wait... So you're saying I mended your broken game??" You were astounded.  
  
"that's right. there wasn't a lot wrong with it, just a couple minor issues, but your magic was able to fix it."  
  
"WOWIE! THAT'S AMAZING! HOW DID YOU FIGURE OUT THAT'S HOW HER MAGIC WORKED?" Papyrus was bouncing in his seat from excitement.  
  
"you remember what i told you when you were learning magic? understanding and intent is key. if we look at each of the times _____ got hurt, there's a pattern." Sans began. After seeing that he had everyone's full attention, he continued. "the first time, when the two of you were attacked outside of meet co, you didn't even know you had a mending ability, and your injuries were bad enough that you didn't know a lot about healing them, right?" Sans looked at you.  
  
"Well, yeah, I guess. I mean, obviously I know what fractures and bruises and such are, but I don't know the details of how they heal." You agreed.  
  
Sans nodded, as if that's exactly what he expected. "so, you lacked an understanding of the healing process, and you lacked the intent to use your mend ability because you didn't know it was even there."  
  
"AH! SO BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT HER ABILITY, SHE COULDN'T INTENTIONALLY USE IT!"  
  
Alphys nodded. "Basically. Although, it may have worked to some degree if she'd had the medical knowledge to base it off of since, even if she didn't intend to do so magically, she would have had the intent to heal. That seems to be how Marge discovered it."  
  
"with that in mind, all the other times she was hurt make sense. the next month, when undyne turned her into a pin-cushion, she knew about her mend ability, and most of her injuries were shallow cuts, which, even if there were a lot of them, is pretty basic first aid for a human."  
  
"Hey! They were only minor because I went EASY on her!" Undyne seemed mildly offended that the injuries she'd inflicted on what she thought was an enemy were so easily brushed off as inconsequential.  
  
"Thank god for that..." you muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.  
  
"anyway, _____ healed pretty quickly from her injuries then thanks to her knowledge of them, and her intent to heal."  
  
"THAT IS TRUE. SHE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE ANY SCARS FROM IT." Papyrus pointed out.  
  
"Wait... Just how would you know she doesn't have any scars? Some of those cuts were under her clothes..." Undyne examined Papyrus suspiciously, a lecherous grin spreading across her face.  
  
Papyrus blushed furiously. "I ASKED DR. ALPHYS ABOUT HER INJURIES WHILE SHE WAS HEALING. SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE WAS HEALING SO WELL, THERE WEREN'T EVEN ANY SCARS."  
  
Alphys nodded in affirmation, also blushing furiously at the implications of Undyne's suspicion. Undyne looked disappointed by the innocent answer.  
  
"the same thing happened with the cuts she got from the guy who broke into her apartment. they were healed within days, and left no scars." Sans pointed out. You all nodded at the truth in that statement. "finally, we come to your latest injuries. it was slow-going at first, but the doc seemed pretty impressed by how quickly you were healing later on, wasn't he? you're even home a week earlier than they expected in a best-case scenario."  
  
"How does that make sense?" Undyne asked. "If she doesn't know much about fractures and junk, why would she know about stab wounds?"  
  
Your eyes widened in realization. "Because Sans started asking the doctor all kinds of questions about it, and how it heals." You looked at Sans in surprise. "Is that why you were asking all those questions? To see if it would boost my mend ability?"  
  
"yep. looks like it worked, too." Sans smiled, pleased.  
  
"WELL, I CAN SEE HOW YOU KNEW IT WOULD HELP HER HEAL, BUT HOW DID YOU KNOW IT COULD FIX DR. ALPHYS' PROGRAM?" Papyrus asked.  
  
"well, i couldn't be 100% certain, but i was pretty sure i was right, all thanks to a grandfather clock." Sans grinned in amusement as he watched the confused expressions on everyone but Alphys' face. Before anyone could get too annoyed at the cryptic statement, Sans explained. "i was looking over the notes from _____'s past life, marge, that alphys has, and the only concrete non-healing example of the mend ability at work was when she mended an old grandfather clock. the thing is, she mentioned that she used to love watching her dad build and fix clocks when she was a kid, so she knew a lot about clocks and how they worked. based on that and what i observed with _____'s recovery from her injuries, it seemed logical that the ability might extend to other things, assuming _____ has sufficient knowledge about them." Sans shrugged nonchalantly, as if discovering how your magic worked was no big deal.  
  
"WOWIE! IMAGINE WHAT YOU COULD DO WITH AN ABILITY LIKE THAT!"  
  
"I wouldn't get too excited, Paps. Remember that, even with knowledge and intent, it's still just a minor ability. I don't think I'll be mending anything big or important, or develop anywhere near the healing factor of Wolverine."  
  
Papyrus gave you a confused look. "ARE WOLVERINES KNOWN FOR HEALING WELL??"  
  
Alphys face-palmed at the question.  
  
"uh, just one, bro. he's **x** -tra good at healing himself."  
  
Papyrus furrowed his brow, knowing there was a pun, but not understanding it.  
  
"We really need to introduce you to the Marvel series..." you shook your head and chuckled lightly.  
  
"anyway, as cool as it is that you can heal your physical wounds better with a bit of research, there's potentially another application for your mend ability." Sans glanced over towards Alphys. "one that has to do with another theory about you."  
  
You and Papyrus both turned to face Alphys, who fidgeted nervously. "W-Well... I think... I think I figured out how to reduce a person's LOVE..."  
  
"What?!" You, Papyrus, and Undyne all exclaimed at once, causing Alphys yelp and jump, startled.  
  
"Why didn't you mention that sooner?! That's incredible news!" Undyne pulled Alphys into a hug, causing the shy dinosaur to blush.  
  
"PLEASE, DOCTOR ALPHYS! DON'T KEEP US IN SUSPENSE!" Papyrus' sockets were wide and hopeful.  
  
You simply watched and waited for her to explain, the butterflies in your stomach keeping you too nervous and hopeful to trust yourself to speak.  
  
"W-Well, you see... I-It's very simple, really. S-So simple, I overlooked it at first..." Alphys paused to take a steadying breath, then continued a bit more confidently as she focused on explaining the logic behind her theory. "LOVE is a measurement of a person's ability to hurt others. This is achieved by distancing oneself from other people, usually by killing them. The more you kill, the less you see them as people, and the less you see them as people, the less you are hurt by killing them." Alphys began. "Essentially, LOVE is a measurement of how disconnected you are from others. A person with no emotional connections to others would feel no remorse for harming them." Alphys shifted a bit and adjusted her glasses before continuing. "My theory is that, to achieve the opposite effect and reduce a person's LOVE, they must do the opposite. Instead of cutting off their emotional ties to others, if a person is able to build those ties, they can learn to feel empathy for others again, allowing them to reduce their LOVE."  
  
There was a brief silence before you spoke up. "So, the cure for LOVE is... love?"  
  
Alphys nodded. "Yes. I realized it a while after you moved back to your apartment. Your LOVE stopped decreasing because you were so afraid of yourself, you began pushing us all away, cutting your emotional ties to us to try and make the process less painful..." Alphys was looking at you sadly, and you looked away, feeling ashamed. Papyrus wrapped his arm around you and pulled you closer to him, sensing your pain and distress. You gratefully leaned into the embrace.  
  
"Then, the best way to help _____ reduce her LOVE is...?" Undyne prompted.  
  
"...to keep doing what you've been doing." Sans answered. "show her the love and support you've been showing her and, bit by bit, her LOVE will decrease. the more she's able to love and be loved in return, the faster it'll decrease."  
  
"Humph. That's rich, coming from you." Undyne glowered at Sans. Sans glanced away, guilty and ashamed.  
  
"Don't be too hard on him. He can't help being such a **bonehead**." You gave Sans a small smile, which he tentatively returned.  
  
"guess i'm just naturally **thick-skulled**." Sans winked in your direction.  
  
"NYEH..." Papyrus huffed, clearly agitated by the puns. However, you could see the tiny, tell-tale signs that meant he was secretly pleased about you two getting along. Still, he opted to steer the conversation away from the puns. "YOU MENTIONED THAT _____'S MEND ABILITY WOULD HELP WITH THIS?"  
  
Sans nodded. "potentially, yes. now that we know that it can effect something as intangible as code in a computer, it would seem likely that it could affect souls, too."  
  
Alphys continued the explanation. "We're hoping that, with the proper knowledge about souls, _____'s Mend ability will be able to help mend and strengthen her connections with others, which will allow her LOVE to decrease at a faster rate."  
  
"That's pretty cool." Undyne commented, before smiling dangerously. "Just you wait, nerd! We're going to show you so much love, that that LOVE of yours is going to be OBLITERATED!" she started cackling.  
  
"ABSOLUTELY!" Papyrus declared and hugged you tightly.  
  
Alphys nodded enthusiastically and Sans smiled in agreement. Things hadn't always been easy the past year... actually, things had rarely been easy... but with friends like these, you had little doubt that, some day, you'd be LOVE free.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You awoke with a start, groggy and confused. It was 2:13am, and something had woken you up. You listened, quiet and tense for a moment, adrenaline beginning to pump through your veins as you remembered the last time you were mysteriously woken up in the middle of the night.  
  
All was quiet, until a sound caused you to jump. It was a muffled cry. It was coming from Sans' room. You glanced over at the wall that separated your two rooms, listening as more cries and shouts sporadically pierced the quiet of the night. Now that you knew what had woken you up, you recognized those sounds. They were the sounds of Sans in the throes of a nightmare.  
  
You still remembered the first time you'd woken up to Sans' cries and shouts. You had been concerned, but Papyrus had assured you that Sans just had nightmares sometimes and it was nothing to worry about, before shooing you off to your room as he entered Sans'. Since then, you'd ignored the sounds. You didn't want to intrude on Sans' privacy, after all. You would wake up, hear Papyrus' footsteps pass on the way to Sans' room, and soon the house would be quiet again.  
  
It wasn't like it happened that frequently. In fact, it must have been at least two months since the last one.  
  
But... Papyrus wasn't here tonight. He was spending the weekend at Undyne's for what Undyne described as 'Train-a-palooza'. Basically, Undyne was going to push Papyrus from dawn until dusk in one huge training marathon. She had invited you to join them, and you had politely, but firmly, declined.  
  
You hesitated. Should you... Should you go wake Sans? You were no Papyrus. You certainly didn't share the same bond with him that the two brothers had. But still, could you just ignore him while he was clearly suffering?  
  
You sighed. No, you couldn't.  
  
You slid out of bed and made your way over to Sans' door. You put your hand on the knob and hesitated for only a moment before making your way inside.  
  
It was... dark. It would have been pitch-black if not for the flickering of Sans' magic as he tossed and turned on the bed, his sheets already knocked to the floor. You made your way towards him and cursed as you stubbed your toe on a treadmill before summoning a ball of magic to light the room a bit.  
  
_"Why does he even HAVE a treadmill?"_ you grouched to yourself.  
  
You reached Sans' bed and began to shake his shoulder. "Sans. Wake up! You're having a nightmare."  
  
Sans' eyes shot open, one eye dark and the other blazing with magic. He got one look at you and, far more agilely than you would have expected from the lazy skeleton, rolled and jumped away off the end of the bed, landing in a defensive position while summoning several bones, his breathing still erratic and sweat beading his brow.  
  
"E-Easy, Sans! It's me! _____!" You tried to reassure him as he looked at you with a mixture of fear and pained fury.  
  
Hearing your name seemed to bring him back to his senses. "_____?" his defensive posture began to relax, and his eyes darted around the room. "where's my brother? where's papyrus?!" the look of fear reasserted itself.  
  
"He's at Undyne's tonight, remember? They're doing that training marathon thing tomorrow." You reminded him.  
  
As Sans began to sort through his sleeping and waking thoughts, he finally began to calm down. "t-that's right... paps went to undyne's... he's... he's alright... he's alive... no one died this reset..." he muttered to himself, sinking to the floor and wiping the sweat from his brow as the last of his magic dissipated.  
  
You sat down on the floor next to Sans and began to rub his back as he collected himself. "What do you mean, 'no one died this reset'?" you asked.  
  
Sans tensed and gave you a side-long glance at the question, his glowing pupils having returned to normal. "it's nothing. just some nightmare weirdness." he shrugged, giving you a smile that definitely didn't reach his eyes.  
  
"Do you want to talk about it? Your nightmare, that is?" you offered.  
  
Sans shrugged again. "nothing to really talk about. i never remember the nightmares. i just get this vague sense of people dying... over and over again."  
  
"Is that why you were so panicked about where Papyrus was when you woke up?" you asked.  
  
Sans flinched. "yeah..."  
  
"I... I know that feeling." You admitted. You'd had a few nightmares, too, since your near-death experience. Nightmares of you dying... of your friends dying. Of what the stalker would do to Papyrus...  
  
Sans gave you an appreciative and sympathetic look. "thanks, by the way. for, uh, waking me up."  
  
"No problem." you smiled back.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Your heart was pounding wildly in your chest. Thoughts of previous deaths flickered unbidden through your mind. You gripped the bony hand within yours tighter as you tried to keep yourself from panicking.  
  
"heh... might want to try breathing there, kid. i know paps and i don't need to, but you'll pass out if you don't." Sans commented, vaguely amused.  
  
You forced yourself to take deep breaths until you'd calmed down a bit. The fear still lingered, though.  
  
"YOU DON'T NEED TO BE AFRAID, _____. SANS IS AN EXCELLENT TEACHER! HE WON'T LET YOU GET HURT!" Papyrus encouraged you.  
  
"yeah. i know our friendship has been a bit **rocky** , and i sometimes took it for **granite** , but i'm not going to let anything go wrong. so you can be a bit **boulder**." Sans smiled at you as Papyrus whined in frustration.  
  
"Hah... I'll try..." You took a deep breath and reaffirmed your grip on Sans' hand before closing your eyes and concentrating.  
  
So many things happened in the blink of an eye. You and Sans disappeared... You felt that strange sense of vertigo... Then, you were yanked in a different direction before reappearing again across the room, dazed and dizzy from the ordeal.  
  
Sans' smile was a bit strained. "that was good... you took us into the void no problem. you, uh, just need to work on your aim a bit... preferably not a hundred feet in the air?"  
  
You would have paled a bit if you weren't already white as a ghost from the experience. "I was that off?"  
  
"THAT'S ALRIGHT! YOU'VE ONLY JUST STARTED PRACTICING! YOU'LL GET IT SOON ENOUGH!" Papyrus encouraged you.  
  
Sans' smile grew softer and more reassuring. "that's why i'm tagging along while you learn. teleportation can be a dangerous skill to learn, but with me along for the ride, i can pull you back on course if things go too awry. it'll get easier once you get used to the sensation."  
  
You'd been home for a few weeks, now, and things had been going pretty well. You'd gone from infamous, to something of a local celebrity. Monsters and humans alike greeted you and offered their support whenever you went out. It had been a little disconcerting after getting used to being shunned, but it certainly wasn't an unwelcome change. There were still those who would shout nasty things at you, and the insults and vague threats of anonymous strangers were still being spat at you, but anytime they happened in a public space, people would rally to your defense.  
  
Right now, though, you were trying to learn to control your Blink ability. Papyrus smiled at you and Sans as the latter questioned you to try and determine where you were going wrong so he could instruct you better. It had actually been Sans who brought up the idea of teaching you to control your teleportation magic after you'd learned about his Shortcuts. Although Sans was trying to act like his usual self, the fact that he volunteered his own time and energy to teach you was enough for Papyrus to know better. His brother clearly felt guilty for how he'd treated you. However, Sans never had been very good with apologies. It wasn't that he had trouble saying 'sorry,' or anything, just that he sometimes felt that that wasn't good enough. So, here he was, trying in his own way to make it up to you.  
  
"How DID you learn to do this, Sans?" you asked, feeling the vertigo ebb away.  
  
Sans scrunched up his face a bit as he thought. "huh. i don't remember."  
  
"YOU LEARNED TO DO IT WHEN YOU WORKED AT THE CORE! .... I THINK??" Papyrus, too, seemed befuddled.  
  
"maybe..." Sans shook the thought from his head. "doesn't really matter, i guess. the point is i can show you how to control it, but not if we stand around all day. ready to try again?"  
  
You nodded your head and made sure your grip on Sans' hand was secure. "Ready as I'll ever be." Both the brothers smiled encouragingly at you. You took another steadying breath, focused, and Blinked once again.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"Tilt your head a little farther, darling. ... Yes, just like that." Mettaton coaxed as he applied some finishing touches on your make-up. "There! Perfect, if I do say so myself!"  
  
"WOWIE..." Papyrus muttered, a flush overtaking his features, as he finally got a look at you as Mettaton stepped away.  
  
Your outfit, surprisingly enough, was fairly simple. A blouse and a sensible skirt combo. When you had questioned Mettaton about the absence of the exuberant fashion you had expected him to suggest, he had tutted and told you, as if the answer should have been obvious, "You must play to your audience, darling! As lovely as I know you'd look in some of my higher-end fashion, we want the audience to empathize with you! To relate to you! You must, for all intents and purposes, be seen as a human not unlike themselves, and to do that you must dress in a way they can relate to. Not everyone can afford the most glamorous of the MTT brand fashion line."  
  
Currently, the three of you were waiting in the studio of the Ebott City News Network. News crews had been hounding you for interviews since the riot, and you'd always shied away from them until now. You'd spoken with your therapist about it, and she suggested that it may help ease some of the pressure off you if you were able to get your side of the story out in the open. Of course, she had also cautioned that you be careful about whom you agreed to speak with, as some sources would undoubtedly ask difficult or loaded questions, or simply put too much pressure on you. That's where Mettaton came in. He'd been thrilled when you'd called him to ask his advice on which news sources would be best to approach about doing an interview. His experience in show business meant he knew just who would give you the platform you needed and would treat you as an honored guest, and who you should avoid at all costs.  
  
ECNN was a bit of a smaller station, mostly concerned with just the local news, but they possessed an honor and integrity that some of the larger stations struggled with in their quest for ratings. Naturally, they'd leapt at the opportunity when Metatton had contacted them about setting up the interview.  
  
"Ah! You're looking fabulous!" exclaimed the associate producer, Jessica, as she approached, smiling broadly. "I was just coming to let you know that we're all set up for the interview. Was there anything else you needed before we begin?"  
  
"Ah, um... Not unless you have some secret way to eliminate nervousness?" you chuckled anxiously.  
  
She smiled kindly at you. "Unfortunately, not. Don't worry, though. You're in good hands. Our anchor is great at easing the tension. Before you know it, you'll be so relaxed you'll forget you're even being filmed."  
  
"AND DON'T FORGET THAT WE'LL BE RIGHT HERE, TOO!" Papyrus smiled down at you, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder.  
  
You smiled back up at him, some of your nervousness giving way to the warmth of his affection. "You always are."  
  
"If you'll just follow me, we'll be doing the interview right over here," Jessica signaled for you to follow her.  
  
You stood and quickly smoothed out your clothes before following her to the room where you'd be doing the interview.  
  
You honestly weren't sure what you had been expecting. You knew this was supposed to be a positive thing, being interviewed and getting your story out there. Somehow, in your anxiousness, your mind had conjured images of some sort of dark room where you would be interrogated like some sort of terrible criminal. Instead, the set was brightly lit, homey, and featured a plush looking couch in front of a huge window that was showcasing a lovely view of downtown Ebott City. You were a bit embarrassed over how relieved that made you.  
  
Jessica motioned to a man in a suit who was speaking with some of the camera crew. "Greg! Come here! I want to introduce you to our guest!"  
  
The man quickly finished his conversation and walked over to your group.  
  
"Greg, this is _____. _____, this is Gregory Archer. He'll be the one interviewing you, today."  
  
Greg took your hand, giving it a firm shake as he smiled at you. "So you're the woman everyone's been talking about! It's a pleasure to meet you!"  
  
"Oh!" you exclaimed in recognition. "You're THE Greg Archer! You do the Sherwood Report news segment, exposing social and political corruption, and highlighting people and groups that are working to better their communities!"  
  
Greg smiled at your recognition. "The one and only! When it comes to reporting, I never miss my mark!" He winked at you as he spouted off his catchphrase.  
  
Papyrus groaned and covered his face. "YOU'RE THE HUMAN ON TV THAT MAKES ALL THOSE ARCHERY PUNS BETWEEN SEGMENTS..."  
  
Greg gave Papyrus a confused look at his negative reaction, causing you to chuckle. "Papyrus' brother LOVES puns and jokes. Especially since he knows they drive Papyrus crazy."  
  
Greg smiled wryly at the explanation, and reached out to shake Papyrus' hand. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to make you **quiver** in disgust."  
  
"THAT IS QUITE ALRIGHT, HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, FORGIVE YOU! BESIDES THE PUNS, YOUR SEGMENTS ARE QUITE ENJOYA-" Papyrus stopped mid-sentence, his eye-sockets widening as he realize Greg had just made a pun. He immediately pulled his hand back and smacked it to his face again, "NYEEEEEEEHHH...."  
  
The rest of you laughed and, once he was done groaning, Papyrus joined in on the laughter. It always made him happy when he got to see his friends smile, even if it was over something as silly as his frustration with puns. He could also see that you were much more relaxed now than you had been just a few minutes ago.  
  
Greg turned to Mettaton. "And who could forget everyone's favorite robot star, Mettaton?" He reached out a hand, which Mettaton ignored to pull him into a brief hug.  
  
"It has been AGES, darling! It is so good to see you!"  
  
Greg chuckled. "It's great to see you, as well! You've certainly shot up the charts in popularity since I first interviewed you two years ago."  
  
"Naturally, darling, though you are not without your own following, as well. I've heard rumors of other stations trying to tempt you away?"  
  
Greg smiled wryly. "Some have tried, but my home is here at ECNN. There's too much politics in the bigger stations for my liking."  
  
"Of course, of course. That is one of the things I've always liked about you, dear Gregory; you have an unparalleled integrity." Metatton smiled fondly at Greg.  
  
The conversation was interrupted as Jessica returned from checking on the crew. "It looks like everything else is ready. If you'll just step this way, we can get your microphone secured and begin filming."  
  
"Okay." You followed Jessica onto the set where your microphone was attached to your blouse and tested before you settled onto the couch, with the same being done for Greg before he sat in the chair at his desk. You fidgeted a bit, your anxiety starting to work its way back in. You took a deep breath and tried to quell it as you watched the director count down and signal for the segment to begin.  
  
"Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the Sherwood Report! I'm Gregory Archer and, when it comes to reporting, I never miss my mark!" He gave the camera broad, charismatic smile. "We've got a very special guest with us tonight! A mysterious celebrity from right here in Ebott City, Miss _____!" he gestured towards you on the guest couch. "Thanks for coming out to speak with us tonight, _____."  
  
"I-It's an honor to be here." you replied hastily.  
  
Greg seemed to sense your nervousness returning, and gave you a gentle smile before beginning. "So, while you live here in Ebott City now, you're actually fairly new to our fair city, correct?"  
  
"That's right." you nodded. "I moved out here about a year and a half ago."  
  
"So, what brought you to the city of myths?" he asked, shifting to face you more fully.  
  
"Well, I actually came out here for a job. I work for MEET Co. Uh, that is, Mount Ebott Entrepreneurial Technologies." You clarified.  
  
"That must be exciting!"  
  
"It is. I worked in retail before this and, while I was grateful for the employment, I was ecstatic to have a chance to use my degree."  
  
Greg shifted through some cue cards at his desk before asking his next question. "My sources indicate that you work directly with Doctor Alphys, the monster responsible for building international superstar, Mettaton. What's that like?"  
  
"I didn't work in Alphys' lab at first. I actually started in a different department. But, Alphys is absolutely amazing! I've learned so much from her, and there's a lot that's simply WAY over my head, honestly, but she's super patient and always happy to share her knowledge. She's also one of the sweetest people I know." you gushed about your friend, the cameras and crew fading to the background in your mind.  
  
Greg seemed to feed off your enthusiasm. "And speaking of Mettaton, you are well acquainted with him, as well. He had nothing but good things to say about you during one of his interviews a short while ago, you know."  
  
You smiled genuinely. "I saw that. I don't know him as well as some of the others, like Alphys, but he's very kind-hearted. He's actually the one who recommended that I come here for an interview today."  
  
Greg's eyes widened at this. "Did he now? That's quite an honor!" After taking a moment to absorb that fact, he then leaned forward a bit on his desk. "Now that we've **nocked** out the basics, it's about time we get to the questions everyone's been waiting for. Let me know if any of my questions are **overdrawn**."  
  
You nodded your understanding, mentally preparing yourself for what was to come.  
  
"So, your claim to fame is a rather unique one. You can, in fact, cast magic, correct?"  
  
"That's right." You nodded, a little anxiously.  
  
"Could you tell us about your abilities?"  
  
You shifted and took a sip of the provided glass of water before speaking. "My main ability is Barrier magic. I can create shields and the like, and I can move them at will. Basically, I can use it to shove opponents and block or knock back attacks."  
  
"This was the magic you displayed at the Monster Embassy during the Monstertown Riots, right?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Would it be possible to get a small demonstration?" He cocked his head a bit as he asked.  
  
"Well, uh... I don't see why not." You fidgeted a bit, then took a breath and summoned a small shield.  
  
Greg whistled in appreciation at the glowing white magic shield. "Wow! And that will block anything from going through it?"  
  
You nodded. "Yep."  
  
Greg held up his pen, and indicated he wanted to try bouncing it off the shield. "May I?"  
  
"Um... Sure. Go ahead."  
  
Greg aimed and lightly tossed the pen at the shield. The two of you watching as it bounced off and rolled across the floor. "Well... I don't know what I was expecting." Greg admitted with a shrug.  
  
You gave a slightly strained chuckle. "It's more impressive when blocking something a bit more hazardous than a pen."  
  
"I suppose you're right!" Greg laughed. Then, when his chuckles died down he continued. "You also mentioned that it was your main ability. Does that mean you have others?"  
  
You flinched slightly. You hadn't really meant to mention your other abilities, but it was out there now... "Yes... I have a minor Mending ability, and I can Blink. That is, I can teleport."  
  
"Teleportation! That's one way to beat the traffic!"  
  
You gave him a sardonic smirk. "Well, it would be if I wasn't at risk of embedding myself into solid matter. It's... it's a work in progress." you admitted.  
  
"How long have you had these powers? Did you learn them from monsters?"  
  
"Well, I found out about them about a year ago, and while my friends DID teach me how to use them, I didn't get the abilities from them. It's something I was born with."  
  
"Damn. There go my plans to see about getting magic lessons. Guess I'll just have to stick to archery." He chuckled good-naturedly. "So, how did you come to realize you had magic powers?"  
  
"I..." You froze. From his perspective, it was probably a simple question. He had no idea how convoluted the answer actually was. You considered telling to him that you weren't prepared to answer that one. He'd indicated that you could tell him if he'd overstepped his bounds, right? But that would just lead to people having more questions about why you wouldn't answer, wouldn't it? Besides, a part of why you were here in the first place was to come clean. Your reincarnations would be a shock to the human populace, but monsters already knew, at least to some degree. You wanted them to know the full truth, though. How you'd trapped them under duress. How you regretted it for so long. How you wanted to make amends.  
  
"Is everything alright?" Greg asked you, watching you with concern. You had been silent and tense for an uncomfortably long time.  
  
"Y-Yes..." you responded, then took a deep breath. "It's just that... The answer to that is a bit complicated."  
  
Greg took in your pensive look. "If it's too much, we can move on to something else?"  
  
"No, I... I want to get this out there. I'm tired of having to hide." your face was grim, but determined. "I realized I had the ability to cast magic last year at the end of the Monstertown Fair. When I came face-to-face with King Asgore Dreemurr. Seeing him up-close and personal triggered something in me... Not just my magic, but memories... Memories of a time long ago when humans and monsters were at war..."  
  
Greg stared at you in confusion for a brief moment before responding, "Memories from the Human-Monster war?" he asked you, incredulously. "Given that you don't appear to be hundreds of years old, that would mean...?" He trailed off to let you fill in the explanation.  
  
"That would mean that my soul is much older than my body. I don't know if it happens with others, but, at least with my own soul, I am reborn as a new person each time I die."  
  
"That's quite a claim." Greg was scrutinizing you curiously, but couldn't see any indications that you were anything but serious about this.  
  
"It's not just a claim. It's a fact." you stated. "There aren't many monsters left who remember the time before they were sealed under Mount Ebott, but among those who do is King Asgore. Though I'm physically a different person now, he recognized my soul from our shared past."  
  
"So, not only did you live during that time hundreds of years ago, but you knew the king of monsters, as well?"  
  
"Yes... He was a... a dear friend. He taught me how to use my magic in secret. He accepted me for who I was in a time where the most common response to any human suspected of possessing magic was to execute them. And then the war happened..."  
  
"Wait..." You could see the wheels in Greg's head turning. He was not a stupid man. Far from it. He'd done his homework on you in preparation for this interview. He knew how monsters had reacted to you after the riot. Combining that with what you'd just told him... "You described your main magic as 'Barrier magic'... If you were alive and trained in the art of magic during the Human-Monster War, than the reason monsters reacted to your display of power at the embassy with fear was..."  
  
You nodded sadly. "It was because I am one of the seven mages whose power created the barrier that kept them trapped underground all these years."  
  
Greg seemed stunned by this revelation. He looked off-stage to where Papyrus and Mettaton were watching. Papyrus had a sad, sympathetic look on his face, and Mettaton nodded to him in affirmation of your claim. Greg turned back to you. "But didn't you describe King Asgore as a friend? Why would you fight against monsters if that were true?"  
  
You steadied yourself. "I betrayed Asgore, and all of monsterkind, when I swore my fealty to the king. I... I did it out of fear. I had been captured and imprisoned for possessing magic. I was in a terrible spot. It wasn't the first life in which I was persecuted for that 'crime'. It didn't matter if I'd never harmed anyone. I was different. Humans couldn't wrap their minds around the idea of magic." your eyes were on the floor now, unable to look anyone in the eye as you described your shame. "I was kept bound in a pitch black cell, awaiting execution when the king approached me. Monster magic was a threat to his troops in that war, so he wanted to counter it with magic of his own. I was given the choice: serve him and earn my freedom, or die."  
  
"That must have been quite the dilemma."  
  
"It was... I've always kind of hated myself for not choosing death. I mean, I knew at the time that I'd reincarnate, but that choice is a LOT harder to make when you have vivid memories of being beheaded, or hung, or burned at the stake."  
  
Greg was looking at you with wide eyes. "Beheaded? Burned? Christ..."  
  
The corner of your mouth twitched upward in a sort of morbid, self-deprecating amusement. "One of the many reasons I'm in therapy, now." You then continued. "Needless to say, when I met King Asgore in this lifetime and he recognized my soul, he was quite angry with me. I ended up fleeing that night. For the longest time I thought I had some sort of weird phobia of monsters, but the truth was, I was afraid of their rejection. On some level, I knew I had betrayed them, and I was afraid I would never earn their forgiveness..."  
  
"Yet, here you are today, friends with numerous influential monsters. How did that come about?"  
  
A warm smile began to cut through the melancholy on your face. "I have Papyrus to thank for that." You looked up and locked eyes with Papyrus, who gave you a soft, encouraging smile.  
  
"Papyrus? Ah, the skeleton monster who accompanied you here, today!"  
  
"Yes. We became friends before I found out about my past. I was afraid of most monsters, at the time, but Papyrus... Well, I don't think it's possible to dislike him. He's so bright and enthusiastic, bold and encouraging... He makes me feel like there's nothing I can't do. And when we found out that I was the barrier mage, he stuck by me. He supported and encouraged me, and it was because of him that I was able to drag myself out of the pit of my despair and regrets. He was there with me when I had no one else."  
  
"He sounds like a pretty amazing guy." Greg smiled kindly at you.  
  
You smiled back. "He's the greatest." You took another sip of your water before continuing. "Anyway, although most monsters didn't find out that I was the barrier mage until the riot, those who did know were... wary of me. Eventually, though, they began to come around. Bit by bit, I was able to prove that I wasn't the terrible person they feared I was. That I did not mean them harm, and wanted nothing more than to make up for my past. It was... it was incredible. And it never would have happened if Papyrus hadn't been there to help me pick up the pieces. If he hadn't continued to stubbornly assert that I was a good person, even when I didn't believe it, myself."  
  
"Sounds like we could all use a Papyrus in our lives."  
  
The microphones picked up a voice from off-stage. "I ACCEPT YOUR OFFER OF FRIENDSHIP, HUMAN!"  
  
Both you and Greg burst out laughing, before he spoke to you again, grinning mischievously. "Just between **yumi** , that wasn't my intended **target** , but why not? I'm **game**."  
  
There was a groan off-stage. "I'M BEGINNING TO REGRET THIS ALREADY."  
  
You reined in your laughter to subdued snickering. "You should meet Sans and Toriel, sometime. They love jokes and puns."  
  
"Sounds great! I should set up something soon, **arbalest** I miss the opportunity." Greg chuckled as Papyrus stood there with his hand covering his face. "So, you mentioned you were friends with Papyrus, but my sources indicate that that's not quite the case. That your relationship is a bit more than just friendly?" He asked cautiously, not wanting to imply something that may not be true, and not wanting to seem accusatory.  
  
You blushed. "We are. Our friends actually helped set us up at the beginning of the year."  
  
"That must have its own challenges. Human-monster relationships are still seen by many as taboo."  
  
You huffed angrily. "Maybe by some humans, but I've never met a monster who had a problem with our relationship based on the fact that I am human." Your features then softened. "And, actually, more humans than I expected seemed okay with it, too." you admitted. "Friends, family, people at work, and even complete strangers. While some were surprised, there were actually many people who either weren't bothered by our relationship, or agreed that they had no right to object."  
  
"Monsters were supportive of your relationship, but how did your reveal as the barrier mage at the riot effect that? Monsters in general seemed quite wary of you then."  
  
You shifted uncomfortably. "Things were... difficult. Papyrus did his best to support me, but I was basically shunned by most of Monstertown. Not that I could really blame them after that night..."  
  
"Speaking of that night, rumors have abounded since then that you allegedly tried to kill the people who attacked the embassy. What's the story behind that?"  
  
You took another sip of water, trying to word your response carefully. "I almost did..."  
  
Greg's eyes widened. "Really??"  
  
You took a deep breath and continued. "It was a horrible night. I still remember being lead through the streets to safety... Everything was ransacked and burning... We even passed through a street where the residents had apparently been EXECUTED before they could be evacuated." you emphasized. "The embassy offered protection for a while, but when they blasted through the wall and spilled into the garden, it became a warzone. A warzone where the lives of COUNTLESS PEOPLE were at stake! If those so-called 'rioters' had managed to get into the embassy, it would have been a massacre. I went outside that night to help, and I almost went too far."  
  
Greg's face was solemn. "A truly terrible experience for anyone to go through. Although, I certainly wouldn't have cried over their deaths. I think it's a failure of justice that they got off as lightly as they did. Most places refer to them as 'rioters', but that's not what they were. They were terrorists, plain and simple. They walked into Monstertown with the intention of either terrorizing monsters into fleeing, or destroying them outright. All because they are too bigoted to accept monsters as the people they are." he finished vehemently.  
  
You couldn't help but nod in agreement.  
  
Greg took a moment to calm himself before continuing. "Onto the next subject, there were a number of reports of you being harassed after the riot, and you even wound up in the hospital with serious wounds. If you're up to it, could you tell us more about that?"  
  
You swallowed around the lump in your throat. Despite your therapy sessions, this was still a bit of a difficult subject for you. Still, you felt better getting the truth out there about everything else, and, logically, you knew the stalking and attack wasn't your fault...  
  
"Things were... stressful, after the riot. Reporters were camped outside, monsters, both strangers and some who I'd considered friends, were afraid of me, people started harassing me on social media, via email, texts and phone calls, and by sending threatening letters... I ended up deleting my accounts and changing my email and phone number. That helped for a while, though some people eventually found those, too. They even totaled my car, filling it with sewage..."  
  
Greg looked disgusted. "Ew..."  
  
"That's not even the worst of it."  
  
Greg's face twisted in apprehension. "It gets worse?"  
  
"It gets worse." You affirmed. "I started receiving these texts..." You took a steadying breath. "They... They were different from the other threats. She threatened not just myself, but my friends, too, and included candid pictures of them as proof that not only did she know who to target, but that she could get close without being seen. She indicated that she wouldn't hurt them if they weren't friends with me, but if I told anyone about the threats, she'd kill them immediately..."  
  
"What did you do?"  
  
"I moved out of the skeleton brother's house and back to my old apartment. I cut myself off from them. Friends... family... everyone. I was so afraid of them getting hurt because of me..." you admitted.  
  
"No offense, but that's a pretty fool-hardy thing to do." Greg gave you a look that was simultaneously reproachful and sympathetic.  
  
You let out a bitter laugh. "So I found out. Anyway, after separating me from my friends, she started getting her kicks by showing off that she was stalking me. She'd comment about one thing or another, sometimes something that happened in public, and sometimes something that happened in private. It made me paranoid. I couldn't be sure when I was being watched, so I felt like I was ALWAYS being watched. Then, one day, I came home and found what she called her 'welcome home present'..."  
  
"She went inside your apartment?" Greg was on the edge of his seat, listening.  
  
"Yes. My apartment was absolutely wrecked. Things were smashed, furniture destroyed, curses painted on the walls... And then, in my bedroom... She left a gutted cat that looked very similar to my own on my bed."  
  
Greg looked about ready to vomit. "What the actual fuck..."  
  
"I nearly called the police right then and there."  
  
"Nearly?! What stopped you??"  
  
"She texted me to mock and threaten me. But it wasn't just me she was threatening... She included a picture of Papyrus sleeping... in his bed... taken from inside the room... I... I couldn't stand against her. She'd proven that not only could she get into my apartment, but that she'd gotten into Papyrus and Sans' home as well. I was so terrified that if I didn't do exactly as she said, she would kill my friends."  
  
"I think anyone would be terrified in that situation."  
  
"A while later, she broke into my apartment again. This time, while I was sleeping. As soon as I unlocked my bedroom door and took a step outside it, she struck. She stabbed me and shoved me back into the room. She gloated and mocked me. I tried to use my magic to defend myself, but she stabbed me in the arm to disrupt my concentration." You gestured to your forearm, where a light scar shone against your skin. That wound had been too deep for your Mend ability to help heal perfectly.  
  
"How did you get out of that alive??"  
  
You barely stopped yourself from saying 'I didn't.' You still didn't understand what happened that day. You swear you remembered dying, but the longer it was since that experience, the more you began to doubt yourself. You had told Papyrus about the weird déjà vu, but he hadn't known anything about it. "She told me that, when she was done killing me, she was going to go after my friends, despite telling me in the texts that she'd leave them alone if I distanced myself from them. I was... I was afraid... and furious. I was able to tap into my magic despite the pain, and I threw her across the room and knocked her out. It felt like forever, but apparently a few minutes later Papyrus and Sans showed up and found me bleeding to death on the floor. They rushed me to the hospital and saved my life."  
  
"Man, that's some lucky timing."  
  
"Yeah, no kidding. A lot of that is kind of hazy for me. I lost a LOT of blood. I woke up a few days later in the hospital."  
  
"No wonder you're getting therapy. I feel like I need therapy just LISTENING to that story."  
  
"It's not all bad, though... As I was recovering, my friends really banded together in support of me. They really went out of their way to convince people that I was a good person who didn't deserve what happened to me. A lot of people who had avoided or shunned me since the riot sent cards and flowers with their condolences and apologizing for the way they'd treated me."  
  
"Ah, you mean Mettaton's interview and the speech from Ambassador Frisk?"  
  
You nodded. "And more. I hated myself after that experience. I felt so bitter and alone, even with friends and family right there in the hospital with me every day. As the get-well gifts came in over the course of my stay, it really helped me to see so many people offering their support."  
  
"That is quite a tale." Greg said, sitting back fully in his chair.  
  
"It is. I owe my life to my friends and family. Without them, I don't think I could have endured everything that's happened to me." You blinked back the tears at the corner of your eyes as you thought of all the ways things could have ended for you without the support of those around you. "I just... I just hope I can help them in return." You looked up at Greg, a spark of determination in your eyes. "So many people have come together to help me since I was attacked. So many have started to stand up and defend me from those who can see nothing but what makes me different. Those who once stayed back, quietly minding their own business, are stepping forward and showing that they're not okay with what's been happening. That they're no longer willing to ignore it. If those people could band together in support of monsters the same way they have in support of me, I have no doubt in my mind that those who have been willfully blocking their attempts to gain full rights would be forced to concede. My relationship with monsters has been a tumultuous one. They accepted me, and I took what they taught me and used it against them. I helped seal them away for hundreds of years, never to see the sky. They have every right to fear and hate me for what I did. And yet... Despite that, they've expressed remorse over reacting to me with fear. They are a people, just like anyone else. They have their ups and downs, their fears and anxieties, their joys and sorrows... And despite having hundreds of years worth of reasons to hate me, they are willing to forgive me." Your tears were barely restrained now. "These people do not deserve everything that has happened to them. They did not deserve to be driven underground hundreds of years ago, and they do not deserve to be marginalized today." You looked towards the camera. "Please... Don't make the same mistakes I did. Don't let those in power continue to oppress monsters. Stand up and show them that that is not who we are anymore. Show them that we will not stand for it. It is time for the silent majority to stand up for what's right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meh. I'm not entirely happy with how this chapter ends. It seems sort of cut-off, like there may or may not be something missing. But, I wasn't able to come up with anything better, so... yeah.
> 
> Anyway, so Reader has finally come clean publicly about everything that's happened. The things she's endured, the mistakes she's made, and her wish for things to be better are out in the open. After so many years of being feared and hated, she's finally able to stand on her own. 
> 
> Scary though it can be to be in the spotlight, fame is a powerful tool. A tool that Reader is now using to make amends for her past by advocating for the rights of monsters. 
> 
> You go, Reader! Show the world the power of your soul! The power of kindness and compassion!


	48. Finally Making Progress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! This is the first chapter for this fic after upping the rating to Explicit. As you might be able to guess, things get a bit lewd here. The relevant section will be marked for anyone who wants to skip it. 
> 
> Either way, enjoy!

After your interview, interest in the monster rights debate surged. Asgore and Frisk used the sudden interest to really push the issue, investing in advertising, rallies, and televised debates. As intense as the debates featuring Asgore were, the ones that Frisk attended drew far more attention. Even those with little interest in politics were talking about the time Frisk completely shutout their opponent by using the most tried and true method every child knows: questioning 'why?' about every argument their opponent had.  
  
With guidance from Mettaton, you continued to go on talk shows and do interviews. The process, while still a bit nerve-wracking, grew easier over time. Unlike your first interview, you were usually accompanied on-stage by a friend for these ones. Most regularly you were joined by Papyrus, whose boisterous cheerfulness and sweet affections towards you helped cement your 'popular famous couple' status. Undyne also made quite the impression with her impromptu demonstration of what your barrier magic was actually capable of. Nothing spells ratings like a human mage desperately trying not to trip in her heels as she blocks a barrage of spears from a cackling blue fish woman. You're pretty sure the display nearly gave the director a heart-attack, even after you'd both assured everyone that Undyne wasn't trying to actually kill you. (Although the incident convinced Undyne that you were out of practice and resulted in bi-weekly training sessions with her.)  
  
You became a rallying point for monster rights supporters. You were a symbol. In you, people found all the complexities of what it meant to be human or monster. You were human, with all the good and bad traits that came with it. You were kind and loving, but you were also flawed. You had done terrible things and faced your darker side, and you had felt regret and a longing for forgiveness. You also faced many of the same problems that monsters did. You possessed magic, and had endured the prejudices of those who feared your differences. You had put others before yourself and nearly died in the process. Your relationship with Papyrus, in particular, had also become a symbol. It showed what COULD be. It showed that human-monster relations did not have to wallow in simple tolerance of each other, or even stagnate at friendship. It showed that love between the two races was not only possible, but a wonderful thing.  
  
Gradually, more and more humans and monsters got involved. Where Asgore's ad campaign at the start of the year grabbed the public's attention, but failed to maintain it, the constant influx of new and interesting people kept the monster rights issue in the spotlight.  
  
The movement to obtain monsters full rights, which had stagnated for two years, was finally making headway. Those politicians who had once been content to keep monsters marginalized began to feel the pressure of those they were supposed to represent. The choice became clear: enact the will of the people, or face the end of their careers.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
As was typical of politics, it took months for everyone's efforts to finally see results. Christmas had been uproariously celebrated as the first laws acknowledging monsters as full citizens were put into place. There was still a lot of work to do, with many existing laws needing to be amended to accommodate monsters, but the passing of that law granted monsters the same basic protections and rights as their human counterparts in the eyes of the law.  
  
It felt like the worst was finally over.  
  
It was early February now, and you were in Papyrus' room as he dug through a pile of gifts sent to him by the fans he'd gained over the past months. You smiled as you saw he was wearing the shirt you bought him the other day. It said 'Coolest Dude' on it, and the Os in 'Coolest' were a pair of sunglasses. He'd been ecstatic, as his old 'Cool Dude' shirt was pretty worn out, now.  
  
Finally, he found what he was looking for, and turned around to show you with a flourish. "NYEH HEH HEH! ISN'T IT THE COOLEST?!" Papyrus grinned enthusiastically at you as he held up a rather adorable Papyrus-shaped plushie, complete with its own battle body and scarf.  
  
"It is!" You smiled back, and took the toy from him to examine it more closely. It seemed pretty well made. "Oh, it's soft, too! Although, I think I prefer the real deal." You smirked mischievously up at him.  
  
"AH, THAT IS QUITE UNDERSTANDABLE! US SKELETONS ARE GREAT FOR CUDDLING, AFTER ALL! SO VERY SOFT, AND FULL OF CALCIUM..." Papyrus stated matter-of-factly.  
  
"I couldn't agree more." You smiled at him saucily before stepping forward to press your body flush against his, and pulling him down for a kiss.  
  
"NYEH..." Papyrus immediately wrapped his arms around you.  
  
God, you loved him. You loved him so very, very much. He was your rock in the storm. The sun shining through on a rainy day. How had you ever thought you could live without him? How had your soul endured so long without this?  
  
How would it survive the lives to come once this one was over?  
  
Papyrus felt the pained quiver in your soul reverberate through you as your thoughts turned dark. He pulled back from the kiss and saw a pair of tears making their way down your face. "WHAT'S WRONG?" He brought his hands up to cup your face and gently wipe away the tears.  
  
You pulled away and finished wiping away the tears you hadn't meant to shed. "N-Nothing. It's stupid."  
  
Papyrus pulled you close to him again, wrapping his arms around you and tucking your head underneath his chin, one hand rubbing your back, and the other running through your hair. "NOTHING YOU TELL ME COULD BE STUPID. WELL... UNLESS YOU TOLD ME THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIKE SPAGHETTI, BECAUSE THAT'S JUST PLAIN UNTRUE."  
  
You laughed. You could always count on Papyrus to bring a smile to your face. The smile faded slightly as you tried to put your fear to words. "It's just that... We know my soul reincarnates when I die. And I... I was just thinking of what would... WILL... happen when I'm reborn and have to live without you..."  
  
Papyrus' hold on you grew tighter as you admitted your fear of moving on without him. "NYEH... I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN..." he admitted hesitantly, a bit quieter than his normal booming volume. He pulled back and cupped your chin, bringing your face up to look at him. His expression was serious. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN, BUT I DO KNOW THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER. AS GREAT AS WE BOTH ARE, WE CANNOT LIVE FOREVER. IT IS POINTLESS TO WORRY ABOUT IT." His expression softened and he cupped your face once again. "WHAT MATTERS IS THAT WE HAVE EACH OTHER NOW. THE TIME WE HAVE TOGETHER IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD CHERISH AND MAKE THE MOST OF, NOT SQUANDER WORRYING ABOUT THINGS WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER."  
  
You nuzzled your face into his hand. "You're right. How did you get to be so smart?"  
  
Papyrus smiled cockily. "IT JUST COMES NATURALLY. I AM, AFTER ALL, THE GREAT PAPYRU-OH!" His thought was interrupted as your nuzzling turned to kissing and nibbling along his bones.  
  
Your hand came up and took hold of his wrist, adjusting it so you could begin kissing and nipping your way up his arm. Papyrus took a few moments to savor the sensations before he could remain passive no more and pulled you up for a passionate kiss. Your tongue entwined with his and you felt your soul soar at the contact with his magic.  
  
It had been a long time. The two of you, though cuddly and affectionate, hadn't really let your passions dominate your interactions since the night of the riot. Part of that had been Papyrus not wanting to push you while you were still in the early stages of recovering mentally and emotionally from everything that had happened. The other part had been that the two of you simply hadn't had time. Between work, training, interviews, public appearances, testifying in court, and everything else, the downtime the two of you did have had consisted mainly of sleepy cuddling. Of course, just because monsters were officially recognized as citizens now didn't mean that the fight was over. There was still so much to do. But, for the time being at least, you could start to relax and enjoy some time to yourselves.  
  
And, honestly, you hadn't realized how much you'd been craving this. How much you NEEDED it. You ran your hand up the back of Papyrus' shirt, tracing the bones along his spine. You delighted at the needy shudder this elicited as he continued to kiss you. You began tugging at his shirt, and Papyrus helped you remove it, chuckling at the whine you emitted when you had to separate from the kiss to get it past his head.  
  
***** // If you don't want to read the skeleton porn bits, best to skip to the next set of asterisks.  
  
You pouted childishly at Papyrus' laughter, then put an end to it by suckling on his now exposed collarbone, causing him to moan.  
  
Papyrus pulled you along with him as he backed towards his bed and sat down. You eagerly followed, straddling his lap without relenting on the licks and nips you were placing along his vertebrae and collarbone.  
  
Papyrus panted between soft gasps and groans as your lips teased his neck and your hands stroked feverishly along his exposed bones. He had one hand tangled in your hair, encouraging your explorations, and the other rubbed restlessly at your side just underneath your shirt. Now that you had started, you were completely without shyness or hesitation. It was like he was an oasis in the desert, and after your first taste, you suddenly realized just how **thirsty** you were...  
  
Your hips ground down against his pelvis and Papyrus let out a gasp that quickly evolved into a moan as his hips instinctively bucked back. His hand at your hip snaked its way behind you and pulled you impossibly closer as he continued to grind into you. He used his hand in your hair to pull your head back, giving him access to your lips for another heated kiss as you both moaned and gasped into each other.  
  
You leaned further into him, and Papyrus let out a growl as he felt the cloth of your shirt against his bare ribs. He didn't like it there. He wanted it gone. He needed to feel the softness of your skin against his bones. You had pulled away slightly in confusion at his growl, and your eyes locked with smoldering orange sockets before your shirt was unexpectedly pulled up over your head and tossed to the ground. You huffed slightly over the lack of warning and pushed your hair out of your face. With your hair no longer in your eyes, you were met with Papyrus' glowing orange eyes locked onto your chest. They lacked the intensity they had moments ago, however, and simply looked curious.  
  
Papyrus was staring at your breasts bound within your bra. It wasn't that he'd never seen your bras before. He had done your laundry plenty of times. He'd even felt you wearing them when the two of you would make-out. This, however, was the first time he'd actually seen one on you in a well-lit room. He thought of how confused he had been by the strange attachment when he'd first insisted on doing your laundry. He smiled as he remembered how much you had blushed and how flustered you'd become when he asked you about it. He then became flustered himself as he remembered secretly examining the undergarments more closely after finding out their purpose. Papyrus brought a hand up to cup one of your breasts, running this thumb along the lacy trim of your bra.  
  
Your breath hitched as Papyrus touched your clothed breast. You watched the look of reverent curiosity on his face as he gently explored you. That look made your heart flutter, even without the heated touches. Using both hands now, he continued to softly run his fingers along the piece of cloth, feeling every inch of it as it molded to you. His finger tips ran up along the straps and down back behind your shoulders, his eyes drifting closed as he allowed his sense of touch to paint the rest of the picture for him. They investigated the back of the bra, running along until they met at the center of your back. He felt the clasps that held the bra to you. His eyes drifted open again, and locked with your own. The look on his face was inscrutable. Some mixture of fear, anticipation, reverence, and lust. Your eyes widened slightly in surprise as you felt his fingers at your back twist, and your bra come loose, like he'd done this a million times before. His eyes shifted away briefly and his flush brightened. He wasn't about to admit to you that, not only had he examined your undergarments while doing the laundry, but he'd made sure he knew how it was REMOVED.  
  
Papyrus' gaze returned to you as you shifted to finish removing the bra. He took in your flushed, half-naked form seated on his lap. "Beautiful..." the quietly uttered praise that slipped past his teeth caused your blush to deepen, spreading further. His magic spiked at the sight. The knowledge that he was the one bringing out that reaction in you was... intoxicating.  
  
Papyrus leaned in and brought his teeth to your lips again. It lacked the primal lust that your earlier kisses had held, but was just as passionate. It was the kiss of a lover. You could feel his magic pulsing through his bones. You allowed it to dance along your skin. To mingle slightly with your own. And you could feel him. Ever so slightly. There, within the pulse of the magic, you could feel the tiniest hint of his soul. You sensed his passion and hope. His faith. His lust. But most of all, you could feel his **love**. Neither of you had said the words out loud. Not in THAT way, at least. It was easy to tell people how lovable he was. But to admit to him that you were so hopelessly IN love with him... For him to admit that he loved you so deeply that the idea of living without you terrified him, too... The words remained lodged within your souls, escaping only as the ghostly hint of a whisper through your contact.  
  
Papyrus broke the kiss and leaned back, pulling you along with him before rolling the two of you securely onto the bed, ending with you pinned beneath him. He pressed another loving kiss to your lips before sliding down to lather your exposed half with attention. He relished each small hitch of breath, gasp, or low throaty groan.  
  
You ran your hands along his skull, back, and any bone you could reach. You practically cried out in surprise as his ribs, which were pressed against your pelvis as he explored you, vibrated with a purr in response to you touching a particularly sensitive spot along his spine. Papyrus looked up at you curiously. You brought your knees up, tilting your pelvis up further, and pressed your fingers into that spot again, more firmly this time. Papyrus let out a shuddering moan, and you joined him as he vibrated against you once more, but from a better angle.  
  
You were still rubbing idly at that spot, which was making it REALLY hard for Papyrus to figure out what all that was about. Finally, he gripped onto your raised thigh and used it as leverage to pull himself back up level with you. He rested his forehead against your own as he let his breathing calm a bit and his mind catch up. He glanced down as he felt your legs wrap around his hips and your pelvis thrust up towards his own. It felt good, but it wasn't quite the right angle, and you whined in frustration. Papyrus' eyes widened in realization.  
  
Papyrus, though innocent, wasn't stupid. He knew what sex was, he just hadn't been terribly interested in it before he started dating you. He had touched himself on occasion, but only when he was 100% certain Sans wouldn't come home while he was... busy. But when things had started growing more heated with you last year, he realized that he was as out of his element as Undyne was in Hotland. Not only did he suddenly have need of knowledge about the more physical aspects of a relationship, but he needed to know how that worked for humans. Naturally, he had gone to Undyne for advice. After she'd finished laughing once he choked out his question, and her scales began to return to their natural blue color, she admitted that she didn't know the first thing about human anatomy. She suggested he try looking it up on the human internet, but Papyrus was wary of that idea after the obstacle course date fiasco. So, instead, they'd turned to Alphys for advice. Papyrus wondered if she had some chameleon monster ancestry with how brightly and thoroughly red she'd turned. However, once she'd recovered from the question, Alphys had agreed to do some research and help him.  
  
That day a week later, when Papyrus returned to see what Alphys had found out, stands as the single most **awkward** day of his entire life. Alphys, true to her word, had carefully researched human biology and sexuality. Through her stuttering embarrassment, she used charts and books to show Papyrus the physical differences between human females and males, how they reacted to sexual stimuli, reproduced, common mating practices, and erogenous zones. It was all pretty overwhelming. When Papyrus had expressed his concern that he might not absorb all that information, they had switched to Plan B. As awkward as the human sexual education lecture had been, it was NOTHING compared to plan B. The main problem, as Undyne had pointed out, was that Papyrus, like her, was a monster of action. He learned better through experience than from reading something off a piece of paper. Of course, there was no way in HELL either her or Alphys was going to help him get 'experience' with this matter, so they opted for the next best thing. Observation. The rest of the afternoon was a mortifying marathon of particularly lascivious romance movies and straight-up pornographies. Papyrus was stiff from forcing himself to sit so straight and still on the couch next to Undyne and Alphys all afternoon, studiously ignoring all the subtle signals of arousal he had just learned about that he then couldn't help but notice coming from his two friends. Once it was all over, he'd nearly thrown himself out the window in his haste to escape the awkward atmosphere. Only Undyne grabbing him mid-air and threatening that she was in no mood to have to fix a broken window at that exact moment had stopped him. As he'd left, they'd all agreed that, now that Papyrus was more, uh, educated on the subject, they would never speak of that day again.  
  
Papyrus shook his head vigorously, trying to force those memories back into the deepened recesses of his mind where they belonged. Then, he felt you shift against him once again and remembered why his mind had wandered to that day in the first place. There was no doubt that you were aroused. However, you also seemed to be growing frustrated. Papyrus' eyes returned up to your face and found you glaring at him.  
  
"Well? Are you just going to lay there and stare, or- FUCK!" you cursed as Papyrus shifted his hips and thrust them up into you.  
  
"LANGUAGE." he chided, then, before you could protest being scolded, he brought his hand down and cupped your sex, drawing a gasp from you. It was warm. VERY warm. And also, damp. Papyrus experimentally ran his fingers along your crotch through your pants, trying out varying amounts of pressure. You moaned and arched your back, your fingers keeping him close as they entangled in his ribs.  
  
Papyrus continued to touch you, enjoying your writhing and moaning for another minute before another thought occurred to him. Your pants were growing damper as he continued to touch you. That couldn't be entirely comfortable. It might ruin your clothes, too. Surely, it would be better without them... He brought his hand up to the button on your pants and hesitated. The two of you had never gone this far before. While he had technically seen you without your pants on, that was only when you'd tried to scrub off your own skin in the shower after the riot or when you'd needed help using the bathroom at the hospital and no one else was around. There had been nothing sexual about it. This was a very, VERY different situation...  
  
You cupped Papyrus' jaw and brought his attention back up to your face. His soul fluttered at the soft, loving expression there as you guided him down to kiss you. While the two of you were kissing, he felt your hand join his own at the hem of your pants and undo the button yourself. Once the fly was undone and you began to shimmy your pants and underwear down your hips, he finally got over his hesitation and helped you. He broke off the kiss, sitting up, once your pants reached a point where they could go no further in your current position. With his help, your pants and underwear were pulled the rest of the way off and discarded on the floor.  
  
When Papyrus twisted back to face you after dropping the garments off the side of the bed, he was met with quite the view. He froze as he took you in. There you were, laying completely naked on his bed. Your head on his pillow with your flushed face gazing up at him in excited embarrassment, and love, and lust. Your breasts were swaying slightly with your heavy breaths, your nipples stiff and perky. His gaze continued to travel down your stomach to your unclothed hips. If he used his imagination a bit, he could make out the shape of your pelvic bones, not unlike his own. A patch of hair near the bottom caught his attention, and when his gaze drifted down he caught sight of one part of you he'd never seen. Your legs rested on either side of him, knees propped up. This gave him the perfect view of your exposed womanhood. His eyes were locked on your folds, glistening with the moisture of your own arousal. The proof of your desire for him.  
  
He couldn't help himself when he brought his hand to the folds and ran his fingers along them. Your strangled gasp causing his soul to pulse eagerly. He brought his fingers up to examine them, rubbing them together and feeling the slickness you had caused. He was reminded of when he'd discovered the use of lotion in... er... 'relieving stress.' The feel of the added lubrication had almost tempted him to go through with the habit more often. Almost. He was a skeleton with standards, after all, and he wasn't about to dirty his sheets just because it FELT good at the time. Well, no more than usual, anyway. His attention returned to your own slickness, and he couldn't help but imagine what it would feel like to have your juices lubricating him instead of the lotion. To press himself against your slippery folds... Papyrus felt his magic crackling through his bones as his soul pulsed impossibly fast. Instincts he had largely paid no mind to were now hammering at the inside of his skull. He was vaguely aware that your own breathing had increased to match his own as he gazed down hungrily at you.  
  
You watched as Papyrus explored you with a mixture of apprehension and lust. His stroking stopped far quicker than you would like as he brought his fingers up to examine them. He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, and you almost asked what he was thinking so hard about when the orange glow of his eye sockets intensified and he let out a sound somewhere between a purr and a growl. His breathing picked up and, from the edge of your vision you swore you saw something within his chest, like a white inverted heart shape, but it vanished when you went to look directly at it. You didn't have time to dwell on this as an orange glow caught your attention, but this wasn't from his eyes. Your eyes darted down to the source and widened at the glowing orange bulge that had formed in Papyrus' pants. Your breathing became heavy again, and when you looked back up again it was to Papyrus' penetrating gaze as he looked down at you with such hunger and lust. You felt your whole body shudder with nervous anticipation under that look.  
  
Papyrus leaned forward over you once again, his eyes locked on your face as he stared at you with an unwavering intensity. Another rumbling sound emanated from him, and you tensed as you felt his hand return to your folds.  
  
"Papyrus?" you squeaked out nervously. This primal, almost aggressive side of him was new to you, and you weren't sure how to take it.  
  
Papyrus didn't respond audibly, but the intensity died down as his eyes grew half-lidded, and he began to pepper your jaw and neck with gentle skeleton kisses as his fingers once again began to work their way through your folds.  
  
Reassured once again, you went back to running your fingers over the various crevices of his bones. One of your hands made its way down to where his pants clung to his pelvis, ghosting over the covered bones before reaching the magical bulge at the front. Papyrus groaned and thrust eagerly into your hand, muffling the following moan into your shoulder as you squeezed him gently through the fabric.  
  
His own hand, which had been tentatively exploring the outside of your slit, upped the ante by slipping a single digit inside. You gasped at the slight penetration and shuddered as his finger stroked you from inside.  
  
_"FUCK. FUCKITY FUCK FUCK, FUCK."_ Papyrus would have been disappointed in his mental vocabulary if he wasn't so busy focusing on what was going on. One of your hands was toying with some of the sensitive spots along his spine that you had discovered, and the other was rubbing up and down his length in a painfully delightful manner. Meanwhile, his own hand had discovered your entrance, and he had been vaguely debating how well he'd fit in there. Alphys had explained that a female's womanhood stretched while giving birth, but he was under the impression that childbirth was painful, and he didn't want to hurt you! When he'd taken the plunge, so to speak, and plunged a finger inside you, he had been totally unprepared for what he discovered. You were so slick and warm, but what had caught him off-guard was the feel of your inner walls clutching sporadically at his finger. That was not something that had been covered in his 'education,' and it was imagining what that would feel like pressing against his own need from all sides that lead to his mental vocabulary devolving into a course mess.  
  
Papyrus tried to kiss you again, but it was difficult with the two of you breathing so heavily as you continued to fondle each other. Your hand made its way inside his pants to explore his pelvis before moving to the front and wrapping your fingers directly around his erection. He, meanwhile, had pressed another finger inside you and continued to thrust them in and out as he rubbed his thumb along your 'clit,' which Undyne and Alphys had emphasized was very important. With the kiss not working out, Papyrus settled for burying his face in your neck and nuzzling as he gasped and moaned.  
  
*****  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Sans hummed idly to the music playing through his headphones. He had to admit, while it wasn't something he'd ever considered getting, Frisk had been spot-on about him liking the ipod. It was great for listening to parody music and comedy skits on the go. He'd have to thank the kid for the Christmas gift again at the party tomorrow. Hopefully they'd be feeling better by then. They'd never admit it, but going to school full-time and helping spear-head a political revolution had taken its toll on them. They were doing well, though. Sans was proud of them. Though, he was glad Tori had finally put her foot down and insisted Frisk take a week to catch up on their studies and get some proper rest.  
  
Sans reached the top of the stairs and walked over to the door, casually pushing it open. "hey, paps! tori's invited us all to a party tomorrow to celebra-" Sans stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes going dark as they landed on the scene before him in his brother's room. Papyrus was half naked on top of your own completely naked form, the telltale glow of his erection visible even through his pants, which your hand was down, as you both fondled each other. Both his brother's glowing orange eyes and your own wide-eyed stare were currently locked on him as several tense moments passed where nobody dared to move. Finally, Sans reached out to grab the doorknob, turned on his heel, and exited with a muttered, "nope."  
  
Sans continued to mutter 'nope' to himself as he ignored the mortified squeal of your voice and Papyrus' attempts to mollify you as he walked back down the stairs. He was halfway across the living room when he heard the tell-tale crack of you Blinking to your own room, followed by Papyrus rushing out and knocking anxiously at your door.  
  
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT I SAID WRONG, BUT I'M SORRY! PLEASE! OPEN THE DOOR!"  
  
Sans caught one last glance at his half-naked brother, erection still glowing from inside his pants and forehead pressed in defeat against your door before exiting out the front with one final, "nope."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
By the time Sans had dared return that night, things had calmed down considerably. You had finally let Papyrus in to talk after he'd taken a long, very cold, shower. He learned that his mistake had been suggesting that the two of you continue where you'd left off while you were still reeling over Sans' unexpected intrusion. Hyped up on hormones, adrenaline, and your own horrified embarrassment, you had not taken the suggestion well.  
  
You had forgiven Papyrus. Mostly. However, despite being cuddled together on the couch watching one of Mettaton's movies, you were not tolerating any wandering from his hands, or any attempts to kiss you more deeply at the moment.  
  
Sans took in the situation, and he just couldn't help himself. He reacted the only way he knew how. "hey, bro, when did you sell the house to ld?"  
  
Papyrus looked at Sans in confusion from his seat on the couch. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, SANS? I DIDN'T SELL THE HOUSE TO LESSER DOG."  
  
"you must have, bro. i can see from here that you're **in the doghouse.** " Sans winked impishly.  
  
"SANS!" Papyrus groaned, especially displeased with the reminder.  
  
"He's not the only one." You glowered at the shorter skeleton.  
  
Sans just shrugged nonchalantly, pretending he wasn't affected by what he saw earlier. "sounds like you've got a **boner** to pick with me."  
  
Papyrus' jaw dropped open at the crudeness of that pun, and you flushed in mortification. "D-Don't include me in a sentence with you and the word 'boner'!"  
  
"i wasn't trying to imply anything. i'm well aware, more-so than i'd like to be, that my brother's the one **getting his bones jumped** by you in this house." Sans smirked in amusement as you covered your face with your hands. He then quirked a brow bone as he saw Papyrus blush and look away shiftily, something he always did when he lied or knew something wasn't true, but was trying not to admit it. Sans followed Papyrus' glance to the damp towel folded on the coffee table. "or, not...? what's the matter bro? she give you the **cold shoulder** after i left?"  
  
"SANS..." Papyrus glared at his brother in warning, though any intimidation factor was nullified by the embarrassed flush to his cheeks.  
  
Sans realized he was pushing his limits with the jokes. It was how he dealt with uncomfortable situations, but he knew when to stop. Sometimes. "alright, alright." he raised his hands in surrender. "anyway, as i was going to tell you guys earlier, tori's having a party tomorrow to celebrate the passing of another monster equality law. are you two going to cum?" Sans kept his expression as neutral as he could while you and Papyrus stared him down, trying to decide if he'd made that last pun intentionally.  
  
Papyrus was too busy deciding if it would be worse for that pun to have been on purpose, or for his own mind to be pointing out unintentional puns, so you answered. "Of course we'll be co-" Sans eyes sparkled with amusement as you shifted words mid-sentence, "-uh, going to the party. Which law was passed?"  
  
"it was that one recognizing human-monster marriages, i think." It hadn't been an intentional effect, but Sans was vaguely amused by the sudden bout of shyness the two of you displayed at the mention of human-monster marriages. "anyway, i'm going to head to bed."  
  
"'Night."  
  
"GOOD NIGHT, SANS."  
  
Sans headed up the stairs and paused in front of his door before turning around to call down over the railing. "don't stay up too late, you two. you wouldn't want to be so over-tired you got **caught with your pants down.** "  
  
Sans giggled as you buried your face in your hands and Papyrus squawked in indignation before shutting his bedroom door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who skipped the marked scene, you didn't miss anything plot-wise. Just Reader and Paps taking their relationship to third base before Sans walked in on them. (Oh, and Papyrus remembering the time he went to Undyne and Alphys for some sex education with regards to humans, and the awkwardness that ensued?)
> 
> Anyway, please raise your hand if you saw the sexytimes getting interrupted from a mile away. I'm a little too predictable on that, aren't I? But, hey, at least they get a bit further each time, right? And at least it wasn't interrupted by something as terrible as the riot, this time. That's got to be a plus, right??
> 
> Anyway, things are finally looking up for monsters. They're full citizens now, thanks to everyone's hard work. There are more details to work out for them, but the basics are in place, and they've got the momentum going. :)


	49. Warning: Dog Marriage

Despite you and Papyrus' agitation last night, Sans couldn't seem to stop himself from peppering the day with references to yesterday's fiasco.  
  
"what word starts with 'p' and ends with 'orn'?" Papyrus' eye sockets widened in mortified incredulity at his brother's joke prompt.  
  
Sans locked eyes with his brother. "what's with the look? the answer is 'popcorn'. did you have something else in mind?"  
  
"NYEEEEEEEEH!" Papyrus whined in frustration, then returned to cooking breakfast, scrambling the eggs a bit too roughly and making a mess in the process.  
  
"whoa, easy there bro. wouldn't want to get caught with **egg on your face."**  
  
"SANS... I'M WARNING YOU..."  
  
"and i'm **bacon** you to watch what you're doing before you burn the house down." Sans gestured to the stove where the spilled egg had landed on the hot burner and was blackening. Papyrus yelped and quickly used a spatula to scrape the ruined egg away from the burner.  
  
Sans watched as Papyrus grumbled to himself and scooped the mangled egg bits onto a plate. His eyes then narrowed as a sense of foreboding came over him and he instinctively ducked, dodging your hand as you went to slap him in the back of the head on your way in. He snickered a bit as you were slightly staggered by the unexpected miss.  
  
After you regained your balance, you glared at the snickering skeleton. "So you know, that is YOUR plate." you gestured to the one with the ruined egg.  
  
"ah, come on. can't you take a **yolk**?" Sans asked as you sat down at your seat across from him, not even dignifying that with an answer, and instead opting to take a sip of your orange juice. "alright, alright. fine. i understand. i know your more of a **sausage** lady." Sans winked and you choked on your juice.  
  
Once you'd finished coughing, you turned and glared at Sans. "You're certainly in rare form, today."  
  
Sans smiled placidly at you. "what can i say? i'm a man on a **missionary**."  
  
You raised your brows at the pun, and there was a clatter and mild cursing by the stove before Papyrus stomped out of the room to deposit another quarter in the swear jar.  
  
"he seems upset."  
  
You turned back to Sans and deadpanned, "There's a shocker."  
  
"really? i didn't know you were into kinky stuff like that." Sans eyed you slyly.  
  
You sputtered in embarrassment, your eyes wide. "Where the hell did you even LEARN that one?!" you gaped, then, before Sans could respond, you held up your hand to stop him. "Nope. Never mind. I really, REALLY don't want to know." Sans sniggered in response.  
  
This was going to be a LONG day.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The three of you trudged into Toriel's living room as you arrived for the party. You flopped onto the couch and glared at Sans as he made his way past to sink into the armchair.  
  
"NYEH. I AM GOING TO GO AND SEE IF THE QUEEN NEEDS ANY HELP IN THE KITCHEN." Papyrus announced and stalked out of the room.  
  
Alphys, Undyne, Greater, and Lesser Dog were already seated and watched the tense interactions between you three with trepidation.  
  
Undyne was the one to break the silence. "Alright, what the hell's going on?"  
  
You blushed and then glowered at Sans as he responded. "ah, they're just mad because i caught them in an em- **bare-ass** -ing situation."  
  
"No, we're mad because you WON'T LET IT DROP," you clarified.  
  
"Let what drop?" Alphys asked, her brows already knitting together in suspicion.  
  
Sans chuckled. "let's just say my bro's attacks aren't the only thing that's **blue** today."  
  
Alphys was the first to get the implication, and she blushed furiously. Undyne, though, wasn't far behind. "Blue? What's embarrassing about the color bl- wait... you aren't implying that..." She glanced at your blushing face and then towards the kitchen, her brows rising as realization dawned on her. You heard a barely muttered, "Do skeletons even HAVE balls?" before she shook her head, clearly not wanting the answer to that.  
  
You whined in frustration, rubbing your fingers over the bridge of your nose, before turning to Sans. "Knock, knock."  
  
Sans' brow bone quirked up in surprise and curiosity. "who's there?"  
  
"Knot," you replied.  
  
"knot who?"  
  
"Not Sans, because he DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO FREAKING KNOCK!" you snapped at him.  
  
Everyone was staring at you with wide eyes until Sans broke the silence with a chuckle. "touché. you got me there. though, to be fair, the two of you could have locked the door."  
  
"We shouldn't HAVE to." you continued to glower at him.  
  
"Are you saying you walked in on Papyrus and _____ banging without even knocking?" Undyne asked Sans.  
  
A part of you wanted to protest that you and Papyrus didn't technically have sex... didn't even reach any sort of completion, really... but you realized the point was moot as that was definitely the direction the two of you had been going.  
  
Sans tensed a bit as he sensed danger. "yes?" In the blink of an eye, Sans had taken a shortcut out of the chair and to the other side of the room as a glowing spear was embedded in the headrest. Technically, the dodge had been unnecessary, since Sans had been slouching in the chair, making the impact point clearly above his head, but with his limited HP, Sans was not in the habit of taking chances with his health.  
  
"You ass! If you did something like that to me and Alphys, I'd freaking kill you!" Undyne growled at Sans, who was sweating nervously.  
  
"i can see that..." Sans cleared his non-existent throat. "i can admit when i've screwed up. i'm sorry for not knocking, _____. and i'm sorry for all the jokes. it was poor taste teasing you two about it after being the reason you're both so frustrated and cranky in the first place."  
  
"I am glad to hear you apologizing, Sans, although I would have preferred it if my chair had not needed to be sacrificed for you to do so." You all looked up to see Toriel in the doorway, giving Sans and Undyne a stern look.  
  
The two monsters blushed sheepishly and muttered their apologies.  
  
"Although, I think there is one more person whom you need to apologize to." Toriel informed him, then stepped to the side to reveal Papyrus behind her.  
  
"sorry bro. i was being a real dick." Sans realized the unintended sex-related pun after it had already slipped out. "uh, ass? no, that's not any better... jerk? fuck..." Sans' face scrunched up in consternation.  
  
You began to chuckle as you watched Sans desperately try, and fail, to apologize without making a pun or joke about yesterday. You were soon joined in by Papyrus, and eventually the rest of the room.  
  
Once his chuckles had died down, Papyrus smiled at his brother. "HORRIBLE-PUN LADEN OR NOT, I ACCEPT YOUR APOLOGY, BROTHER."  
  
Sans smiled in relief at Papyrus. He really hadn't meant to upset his brother, he'd just been embarrassed about the whole situation, and gotten carried away making jokes to cover for his own awkwardness.  
  
"Agreed. That is, so long as you knock it off with the jokes about it." You tried to give Sans a stern look, but it was ruined by your failed attempt to repress your amusement at Sans' prior fumbling.  
  
"i'll make a **pointed** effort to avoid them." Sans cocked his head towards the spear, which was still embedded in the chair.  
  
"Damn right, you will!" Undyne declared.  
  
"Good. I am glad that we were able to resolve this while Frisk is still resting. It is hardly a subject for such young ears." Toriel nodded.  
  
"Is Frisk still not feeling well?" You asked.  
  
"Not quite, though they are feeling much better today. Frisk will probably join us a bit later after they've caught up on their rest." Toriel told you. "In the meantime, please relax and enjoy yourselves. This is a time for celebration, after all! I will return shortly with some snacks." Toriel smiled and then headed back to the kitchen.  
  
"I WILL HELP YOU PREPARE THEM, YOUR MAJESTY!" Papyrus followed behind her.  
  
You yelped in surprise as you were bounced up into the air by a sudden weight flopping onto the couch next to you. Once you had landed again, you turned to find Undyne VERY close and smiling predatorily at you. "So... what was all this about you and Papyrus finally getting frisky?"  
  
You blushed furiously and started to stand up. "I-I should go see if Toriel needs help with anything!" You didn't even make it to your feet before a heavy arm landed across your shoulders and forced you back down onto the couch.  
  
"Oh, no you don't! You're not getting away that easy! Not until you give me and Alphys all the juicy details!"  
  
You saw Alphys still blushing furiously on the love seat, but despite that, she was looking towards you with rapt attention. Sans looked decidedly awkward about the whole situation, clearly not wanting to hear the gory details, despite his prior joking. Greater and Lesser Dog seemed to be the only ones unfazed by the situation, too absorbed in their card game, to care.  
  
You returned your gaze to Undyne and felt very much like a diver in open water surrounded by chum.  
  
"So, how long have you two been bumping uglies?" Undyne asked. "I know things got pretty hot and heavy before the riot, but Paps insisted that you two hadn't done the deed, yet."  
  
"Undyne, I really, REALLY don't think this is the best time or place to be discussing my love life..."  
  
Undyne scoffed. "Do you even know what this party is for? Monster-Human marriages are finally being recognized by the human government. That means this party is ALL ABOUT your love life, and I demand the details!" Undyne lifted her hand and brought it down roughly on your shoulder in emphasis. "So, I'll ask you again. How long?"  
  
You sputtered incoherently for a minute as you tried, and failed, to think of a way out of this conversation. Short of Frisk waking up and entering the room, you were pretty sure you were out of luck. (And, even then, you had no trouble picturing Undyne carrying you off to the bathroom or something to interrogate you.) Finally, you muttered, "Technically, we haven't..." you trailed off, unable to make yourself finish the sentence as your blush rivaled Alphys'.  
  
"You haven't...? Wait... but I thought Sans walked in on you?"  
  
It was Sans' turn to shift awkwardly and blush as everyone's attention was drawn to him. "papyrus still had his pants on. thank, god."  
  
"So, just how far DID you two go, then?" Alphys asked quietly, seeming almost as embarrassed by the question as you were.  
  
"T-third base?" you squeaked out.  
  
Undyne smiled and gave you a, slightly-painful, encouraging squeeze of the shoulder. "Hey, that's not bad! I mean, it's been what? A year since you two started dating? And given that Papyrus is such a sweet, innocent-ish cinnamon bunny, that's pretty impressive!"  
  
"innocent-ish?" Sans questioned in confusion and suspicion.  
  
"That's right! I mean, monster-human relationships aren't very common, so I'm sure it's all new for both of you." Alphys agreed.  
  
From the corner of your vision, you saw Sans' sockets widen slightly before an utterly **devious** look crossed his face. You weren't surprised when he spoke up again, but what came out was NOT what you were expecting.  
  
"well, that's not quite right. dating a human is pretty new for paps, but _____ is old-hat when it comes to putting the moves on monsters." he leaned to the side, putting his elbow on the armrest and propping his face in his hand as he smiled at you, a twinkle in his eyes that could mean nothing but trouble.  
  
You couldn't stop yourself from reacting. "W-What?! No I'm not!"  
  
"'course you are. for one, there was that incident under the mistletoe last year."  
  
"You mean that incident where you TELEPORTED BETWEEN US as I was trying to kiss PAPYRUS?" you bit out.  
  
Sans' grin widened slightly in amusement. "it was flattering, but you're really not my type." He chuckled as you growled in response. "it's not the only incident, though. not even the first one."  
  
"Oh? What other supposed 'incident' could there possibly be?" you challenged, and immediately felt a sense of foreboding when Sans' smile twitched as you took the bait.  
  
"there was also the time you reached second base with gd, which was really kind of impressive since you barely knew the guy."  
  
Everyone was staring at Sans in shock, or confused curiosity in the case of the two dog monsters.  
  
"W-WHAT?! I have NEVER made-out with Greater Dog!" you sputtered indignantly.  
  
"'course you have. undyne told me all about it." Sans grinned.  
  
All attention turned to Undyne, now, who seemed just as surprised and confused as everyone else. "What are you talking about, nerd? The only time I've seen GD and _____ that close was near the start of this whole fiasco in the parking lot when he was getting the readings on..." Undyne's eye widened in realization. Sans' grin turned absolutely shit-eating as Undyne began to cackle. "NOW I remember! You two WERE getting awful hot and heavy! And in PUBLIC no less!"  
  
You stared at Undyne in horrified betrayal as she suddenly agreed with Sans. Alphys, meanwhile kept glancing between each of you, confused, embarrassed, and definitely intrigued.  
  
You shrugged Undyne's no-longer-resisting arm off your shoulder as she continued to snicker, then glared at her. "I already told you, I have NEVER made out with Greater Dog." you huffed.  
  
"You did from what I saw, you kinky dork!" Undyne grabbed you and gave you a rough, but affectionate, noogie.  
  
Sans was chuckling by the time you pulled free. "he still brags about how good you are at belly rubs."  
  
Greater Dog perked up at the mention of belly rubs and, with a hollow pop, sprung out of his armor and flopped down on his back in front of you, tail wagging excitedly.  
  
You gaped down at him. "Wait... He looks like just a regular dog without his armor?? How does that even WORK?? He-" You stopped short as something clicked into place. Undyne had mentioned something about you being in a parking lot with GD early-on. Seeing GD without his armor caused a hazy memory to surface. A memory of a fluffy, white stray dog in the MEET Co. parking lot. A dog who you had petted, and whose belly you had rubbed before he knocked you over to excitedly lick your face before running off. Your eyes widened and you paled at the realization that that was no stray dog... "No... No way, it couldn't be..."  
  
Sans could see that you now knew exactly what they were talking about. "but it is! i mean, his mission was to get close enough to get a reading on your soul for alphys' soul tracker program, but it seems he came away with a little bit extra." Sans winked at you, his grin growing wide enough that you swore his skull was about to split in half.  
  
"O-OH!" Alphys exclaimed, now on the same page as everyone else. She was blushing furiously, but you weren't sure if it was more out of shyness about the topic, or embarrassment over how enthralled she was with the idea. You had a sneaking suspicion there would be fan fiction in the future.  
  
Undyne slid off the couch next to GD, who had sat back up after realizing he wasn't getting a belly rub, and gave him an affectionate punch to the shoulder. "You sly-dog, you!"  
  
"I-It wasn't like that! I thought he was just a regular dog!" You tried to explain.  
  
"so, you prefer to make out with regular dogs?" Sans asked, barely withholding his laughter.  
  
"W-What?! N-NO! I don't make out with ANY dogs! It was just a show of affection!" Sans and Undyne's grins grew even wider, both sniggering with barely restrained laughter. It then occurred to you exactly what you'd just said. "PLATONIC affection!"  
  
"Platonic... suuuuuuure!" Undyne responded sarcastically before bursting into laughter. When she got a handle on herself once again, she continued, "So, when can we expect the wedding? Alphys and I'll need time to pick out something nice to wear. It's not every day one of the Royal Guard dogs gets married, you know!" Undyne and Sans were practically rolling with laughter.  
  
It was at that moment that Toriel and Papyrus arrived with the refreshments.  
  
"WHO'S MARRYING A DOG?" Papyrus asked as he set the platter of snacks down on the coffee table.  
  
"_____!" Sans and Undyne declared in chorus.  
  
Your jaw opened and shut a few times in flabbergasted humiliation.  
  
"D-Don't worry, _____. I'm sure it'll be a lovely wedding." Alphys tittered as she got in on the act.  
  
"Not you, too, Alphys!" you groaned.  
  
Papyrus turned to you, his expression a mixture of dismay, offense, and full-blown jealousy. "YOU'RE MARRYING A DOG??" he asked incredulously, but before you could inform him that you were NOT marrying a dog, he continued. "THERE ARE WAY BETTER ANIMALS TO MARRY, YOU KNOW! LIKE SKELETONS!" he told you haughtily.  
  
The room went completely silent at Papyrus' disgruntled declaration, with everyone staring wide-eyed at him. After a few moments, Papyrus' hurt pride settled enough for him to realize exactly what his heated words seemed to be implying. His eye sockets widened and he began to sweat nervously.  
  
"N-NOT THAT I'M SAYING YOU SHOULD NECESSARILY MARRY A SKELETON! E-EVEN A TALL, POWERFUL, INCREDIBLY HANDSOME ONE! Y-YOU SHOULD MARRY WHOMEVER YOU LIKE! I-" Papyrus' fidgeting and constantly shifting eyes grew worse and worse as his nervousness increased. He wiped some of the sweat off his forehead, hastily glanced at his bare wrist, then rapidly declared, "WHOOPSIEDOOPSIE! LOOKATTHETIME! ITHINKILEFTABASKETBALLINTHEOVEN! IBETTERGOCHECKONIT! SEEYOULATER!" before diving head-first out the nearest window.  
  
Undyne had jumped to her feet, but hadn't caught him in time. She looked out the window and called out, "Nice landing, nerd!" giving him a thumbs up.  
  
You, meanwhile, sat there with your hands covering your face, absolutely MORTIFIED. Between everyone teasing you about GD, and Papyrus' jealousy-induced sort-of proposal, you weren't sure you'd EVER stop blushing.  
  
A gentle weight pressed down on your thigh, and you glanced up in confusion. Greater Dog had hopped up on the couch next to you, and was now resting his front paw on your leg as he panted lightly. Once you looked up at him and he was sure he had your attention, he gave you a suggestive wink.  
  
"OH MY FREAKING GOD!" You shouted, and the entire room exploded with laughter.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"They were just teasing me, Paps. Why would you think it was even possible that I was considering marrying GD?" you sighed into the phone as you paced Toriel's guest room, which you had retreated to for some privacy.  
  
"I... I THOUGHT YOU WERE STILL MAD AT ME FOR YESTERDAY..." Papyrus admitted.  
  
"First off, I'm not still mad about yesterday. Well... I'm mad at Sans for not knocking, but I'm certainly not still mad at you. Secondly, how in the world does that connect to you thinking I would marry GD?" you asked in confusion.  
  
"WELL, I THOUGHT YOU WERE SO MAD THAT MAYBE YOU DECIDED TO MARRY THE FIRST HANDSOME DOG YOU SAW... AND GREATER DOG IS FAIRLY POPULAR WITH HUMAN FEMALES WHEN I TAKE HIM ON WALKS, ESPECIALLY WITHOUT HIS ARMOR. THEY ARE ALWAYS ASKING TO PET HIM..." Then, in a quieter, but still fully audible, voice, "THEY NEVER ASK IF THEY CAN PET ME..."  
  
Your eyebrow quirked up at that last part, and you weren't sure whether to be amused at the absurdity of Papyrus believing women petting what they probably assumed was a regular dog as being some sort of romantic gesture, or jealous of the fact that he seemed disappointed that those women didn't offer to pet HIM. _"Sheesh. Dating a monster has given me some WEIRD dilemmas."_  
  
"Papyrus..." You began. "I promise you that I will never run off and marry anyone out of spite just because I'm mad at you."  
  
"NOT EVEN A DOG?"  
  
You lips twitched into a slight smile of amusement. "Not even the fluffiest, most beautiful dog on the planet."  
  
You could hear Papyrus sigh in relief. "THANK YOU. THAT MAKES ME FEEL MUCH BETTER."  
  
"So, will you come back to the party now?" you asked.  
  
"WELL..." Papyrus hesitated, clearly still embarrassed.  
  
"Come on, Paps! Please? What will I tell Frisk when they wake from their nap and The Great Papyrus isn't here?" you wheedled.  
  
"I... I GUESS YOU'RE RIGHT. IT WOULDN'T BE MUCH OF A PARTY WITHOUT THE GREAT PAPYRUS..."  
  
"That's right! After all, a 'party' without 'Papyrus' is just 't'," you joked.  
  
Papyrus chuckled. "AS TRUE AS THAT IS, DON'T LET MY BROTHER HEAR THAT ONE. HE DOESN'T NEED THE ENCOURAGEMENT TO ADD MORE JOKES TO HIS REPERTOIRE."  
  
"Okay, but if you don't get back here soon, I'm totally telling him that one." you smiled mischievously.  
  
"NYEH?! PLEASE DON'T! I'M ON MY WAY!" You heard the sound of the front door being slammed shut in his haste.  
  
"I'll be waiting, and drive safe!"  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Papyrus arrived a short while later. Undyne and Sans apologized for upsetting him with their joke, but he was quick to brush it off.  
  
"THERE IS NO NEED TO APOLOGIZE! I WAS NOT UPSET AT ALL! EVEN IF _____ HAD WANTED TO MARRY A DOG, I WOULD HAVE RESPECTED HER DECISION AND WISHED HER THE BEST!" Papyrus boasted.  
  
"You wouldn't have tried to stop her? You wouldn't even fight for the honor of her affection in a grand display of your love for her?!" Undyne questioned dubiously.  
  
"NO. I RESPECT _____, AND THUS I RESPECT HER DECISIONS." Papyrus told her confidently.  
  
"wouldn't you be just the tiniest bit jealous, though?" Sans asked.  
  
"O-OF COURSE NOT! I AM FAR TOO GREAT TO FEEL SOMETHING AS PETTY AS JEALOUSY!" Papyrus declared, a bit too forcefully. Papyrus glanced in your direction and blanched slightly as he saw you greeting Doggo, who had just arrived. "IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME! I HAVE TO... UM... CHECK ON SOMETHING..." He then darted across the room to wedge himself between you and Doggo, wrapping his arm around you, and greeting Doggo with a smile that seemed a bit forced.  
  
"To great to feel jealousy, huh?" Undyne scoffed.  
  
"he's cool as a cooked cucumber." Sans chuckled.  
  
Thus began your day of having a skeleton glued to your side. More guests arrived as time wore on. Vulkin, Arctos, Dogamy and Dogaressa, Mariana, Gerson, Azzy and Sarah, Tsundereplane, Froggit, and more. Frisk and Flowey also finally ventured out to join everyone, and while Frisk was definitely more subdued than normal, they still smiled and laughed and enjoyed the party.  
  
"...and that's how we finally won first place in the Nose Nuzzle Championships!" Dogamy told you proudly, then lovingly nuzzled Dogaressa.  
  
"Congratulations! Honestly, it's hard to imagine that anyone could beat you two at something like that." You told them.  
  
Dogaressa paused her nuzzling to respond. "(We are very good at it, but competition is always fierce. The King and Queen, on the other paw, were undefeated in their heyday.)"  
  
"WOWIE! I KNOW THAT THEIR LOVE WAS LEGENDARY, BUT I HAD NO IDEA THEY WERE UNDEFEATED CHAMPIONS!" Papyrus admitted, his arm still around you.  
  
"It's true. No one else could hold a candle to those two. It still makes me sad that they split up." Dogamy let out a quiet whine, his ears drooping, but was quickly comforted by Dogaressa.  
  
"(There is still hope that they may reconcile eventually. They have been spending more time together lately, and they both see Frisk as their own child. A love like theirs cannot be snuffed out so easily, even after hundreds of years.)" Dogaressa spoke. She then turned to you and Papyrus. "(Speaking of great loves, I bet you two would be amazing in the Nose Nuzzle Championships. Will you be competing next year?)"  
  
The two of you began to blush. "NYEH HEH... MAYBE NOT. IT IS HARD TO COMPETE WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE A NOSE."  
  
"Not having lips doesn't stop you from kissing me." you purred, leaning into Papyrus more.  
  
"NYEH?!" Papyrus exclaimed, realizing you were right. "THAT IS TRUE! MAYBE IF I..." He trailed off and his eyes began to glow as he summoned his magic. A few moments later he had created a fake nose and mustache with his magic. The nose was huge and reminded you of Groucho Marx glasses.  
  
You burst into laughter. "Oh, god! Stop! Please!" you laughed out while swatting at him.  
  
Papyrus dispelled the magic, an expression somewhere between confusion at your reaction and pride that he'd somehow made you laugh on his face. "DID I NOT DO IT RIGHT?" he asked, curiously.  
  
"Papyrus, you don't NEED a nose! You're perfect just the way you are." You smiled at him, and leaned up to place a kiss on his jaw.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH... YOU ARE PERFECT AS YOU ARE AS WELL!" Papyrus responded, blushing happily, and lightly kissing you back.  
  
Dogamy and Dogaressa exchanged a knowing look, their tails wagging. They knew that, while the two of you may not become their rivals in the Nose Nuzzling Competition, you certainly possessed a love that matched their own.  
  
There was a gentle clanging sound that rose up above the clatter of people talking and enjoying themselves. Gradually, the conversations died down and everyone turned to where Frisk stood on a chair, tapping a fork against a glass to get everyone's attention. Once they had succeeded, they handed the glass off to Toriel, who stood next to them, and began to sign.  
  
'Thank you. As the Ambassador between humans and monsters, it is with great pride that I announce that we have more good news. As you all know, this party is to celebrate the recognition of marriages between humans and monsters, and it is my honor to announce that it is now also in celebration of the engagement of our first human-monster couple! Congratulations Azzy and Sarah!' Frisk gestured towards the crowd, and everyone turned to see the two standing together, flustered but proud, as Azzy held up Sarah's left hand, a modest ring on her finger.  
  
The room exploded in cheers and congratulations for the newly engaged couple.  
  
Your heart swelled with pride for them as you cheered.  
  
While the crowd continued to cheer and celebrate, you felt Papyrus' arm tighten ever so slightly around your shoulders and you pressed closer, leaning your head against him. You felt a familiar thrum echoing through his chest and you closed your eyes.  
  
It was there.  
  
Difficult though it was to make out through his clothing and with the din all around you, once you felt it there was no mistaking it.  
  
His soul.  
  
It was quiet, but strong.  
  
You felt your own soul flutter in response.  
  
You did not need to ask how he was feeling.  
  
You already knew.  
  
Because his soul... was pulsing with **love**.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have no idea how long I've been sitting on that scene where Reader gets teased about "making out" with Greater Dog. The idea hit me all the way back in chapter 13. After I wrote that scene, I got to thinking... Dog monsters occupy this weird middle-ground between being people and being animals. Some, such as Doggo, Dogamy, and Dogaresssa, lean more towards the people side of the spectrum, but Greater Dog, Lesser Dog, and Endogeny lean towards the more animal side of the spectrum. However, they're ALL still sentient monsters, and, thus, in a world where human-monster relationships are acceptable, would be possible candidates for such a relationship. However, given that Greater Dog especially generally has more in common with regular dogs than humans, that would make for one hell of an awkward situation. With a normal dog, Reader's actions with GD are fine, but in the context of GD being sentient... Well, I knew Sans wouldn't be the type to let THAT opportunity slip by. I just... Needed him to be cool enough with Reader's relationship with Papyrus to be open to teasing her about it. So, I wrote the idea down with some basic framework for the scene, and sat on it for months until Sans was FINALLY in the position to openly teaser Reader about it. 
> 
> The best part was when I was re-reading my notes while listening to the Undertale Soundtrack, and Dogsong started playing while I was reading my outline of that scene. lol
> 
> Also, way to go, Sans. For whatever reason, I keep writing you as a dick. It's okay, though. I love you anyway.
> 
> On a real life note, this week has been almost as much of a roller coaster ride as my story. We'll just stick with the good stuff, though. You see, we discovered a trio of fluffy visitors at my house on Monday. A litter of stray baby kittens! They were a little nervous and cautious of us at first, but they've become VERY people-friendly since we found them. They're still kind of young, probably no more than 5-6 weeks old. We left them where they were for most of the week, giving them food and water, in case that mom was still around, but there's been no sign of her. :( It's getting too cold to leave them where they are, so we're taking them to the vet today and bringing them inside. Thankfully, we've already got plenty of offers from neighbors and friends who would be happy to take them in permanently once they're old enough. The tough part will be deciding who gets them.


	50. Wedding Bells

"Come on in!" Sarah smiled at your group as she invited you into her apartment in Southport.  
  
After the announcement of her engagement to Azzy, she'd approached you and Mariana to be her bridesmaids and help plan the wedding. There was a lot of work to do, and very little time to do it. She and Azzy had set a wedding date for the end of March, having wanted to be married as soon as the weather starts to warm.  
  
You and Mariana stepped into the small living room, and immediately caught sight of a woman relaxing on the couch in very tight, provocative clothing, reading a wedding magazine.  
  
Sarah was quick to introduce you. "I'd like you two to meet my best friend and maid of honor, Candi! Candi, this is _____ and Mariana. They're going to be my bridesmaids."  
  
"Hey. It's nice to meet you." You smiled tentatively at Candi.  
  
"Hey, girl! What's up?" Mariana greeted her as well.  
  
Candi looked up from the magazine and gave you both an appraising look. You felt slightly uncomfortable, like you were some sort of open book she was reading. Apparently satisfied by what she saw, she gave you both a bright smile before standing up and pulling you both into a tight hug. "So, you two are the ones from Ebott City that little Sarah's been telling me about, huh? It's nice to finally meet you!"  
  
"'Little Sarah'? You make it sound like I'm your baby girl!" Sarah rolled her eyes.  
  
"You are my baby, girl! Who else has looked out for you in this big bad world? You're lucky I like Azzy, because I wouldn't give you out to just anyone!" Candi declared.  
  
Sarah rolled her eyes again before the two of them burst out laughing.  
  
"Anyway, should we get started?" you suggested.  
  
"Of course!" Sarah beamed.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Planning a wedding was more complicated than you had thought, especially when you had two sets of traditions to take into account. Thankfully, Sarah was already well versed in what a traditional monster wedding entails. It was just a matter of finding a way to mesh the two together to satisfy both sides, and then work out the finer details.  
  
"So, human weddings are usually performed by a priest or official, but monster weddings are presided over by anyone of important significance to the couple." Sarah explained. "Usually it's a mayor, or guard captain, or someone else of social importance, but it could be a parent or close friend in a pinch."  
  
"The question is, who should officiate the wedding?" Mariana concluded.  
  
"Well, that's an easy one." you stated. "Before we came out here, Toriel told me that Asgore wished to officiate the wedding, if you'll allow it. Being the first human-monster marriage under the new law, he feels it's important that he be there to show his support." You explained.  
  
"Oh my god! King Asgore wants to officiate my wedding?!" Sarah gasped.  
  
"Oh, I know that tone!" Candi laughed. "Looks like there's no doubt about that one. How can you say 'no' when a King wants to bless your marriage?"  
  
"Yes! Of course! Tell him we'd be honored!" Sarah told you, slightly flustered.  
  
"I'll pass along the message." You smiled.  
  
"On to the next order of business!" Mariana declared. "Any idea where you want to have the wedding?"  
  
"Well, I was thinking someplace outdoors." Sarah told her. "It's pretty important in monster weddings that the ceremony take place somewhere of significance to the couple. Honestly, while a lot of human weddings are done in churches, having it elsewhere isn't a big deal, so I don't think that'll be a problem. There is one issue, though..."  
  
"What's that?" you asked.  
  
"The place I have in mind is... a bit off the beaten path." she confided.  
  
"Where exactly is it?" Candi asked.  
  
"It's this little wooded area a few miles out from Southport. There's no roads directly to it, which is what has me worried. But, I... I want to have the wedding there, because it's where Azzy and I first truly connected." She seemed worried that the idea wouldn't be feasible.  
  
You smiled reassuringly at her. "Hey, if that's where you want to be married, that's where you'll be married. We'll just have to keep in mind that it's a bit harder to get to when planning the rest of the wedding."  
  
"That's right, baby! Besides, a little nature walk would be a nice lead-up to the wedding." Candi agreed.  
  
Sarah smiled brightly, relief written across her face. "Thanks, sugar! It's a good thing I've got friends like you to help me work out the details."  
  
The four of you continued to map out the details of the wedding. It was decided that the human tradition of exchanging rings would be included since, unlike some monsters, Azzy actually had fingers. Traditional human formal wear would be worn, including a beautiful wedding dress for Sarah. And, of course, the wedding cake was in. Mariana had seemed downright baffled that monsters didn't usually have big, ostentatious cakes at their weddings. Sarah and Azzy would exchange their self-written vows, a very important detail in monster weddings.  
  
"Alright, so walking down the aisle to 'Here Comes the Bride' is in." Mariana wrote down.  
  
"That should cover the basics for the wedding ceremony," Candi noted.  
  
You pulled the notes over to yourself to review what had been written down. "Let's see... We'll have a decorated trail from the nearest road to the site of the wedding... Traditional human wedding set-up with rows of chairs facing an archway where the ceremony will take place... Sarah will walk down the aisle with her father to be handed off to Azzy..." You stopped as you heard a strained noise, and looked up to see Sarah looking away, clearly upset. "What's wrong?" You asked.  
  
Candi placed a consoling hand on Sarah's arm, giving her a look of sympathy before turning to you. "Sarah isn't exactly on speaking terms with her family. Hasn't been for years. It's why she's in such a shitty place as this all by her lonesome."  
  
Your eyes widened. "Shit... I'm sorry. I had no idea."  
  
"It's alright. It's not something that's ever come up before." Sarah smiled sadly at you.  
  
"Hey, this is no time for sadness!" Mariana declared. "It doesn't matter what's happened in the past. Soon, you'll be marrying the love of your life, while surrounded by friends! If that's not worth smiling about, I don't know what is."  
  
Sarah smiled a little brighter. "Thank you. All of you. I just know that, with your help, everything's going to turn out perfect."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The next month and a half was a chaotic whirl of events. A guest list and invitations needed to be sent out ASAP so people had plenty of notice and time to RSVP. Dresses needed to be picked, measurements taken, and adjustments made. Food for the reception had to be picked out and ordered. The cake needed to be chosen. Music, chairs, equipment, and more needed to be purchased, taking into account the lack of electrical outlets at the wedding site.  
  
The rehearsal was a nightmare with several people making a wrong turn and spending hours trying to find the right place. It had been nearly dark by the time you'd all managed a run-through. At least it helped emphasize the need for clearer directions and signs to help guide the way BEFORE the wedding.  
  
The bachelor and bachelorette parties had been a much needed chance to relax. You weren't sure the exact details of the bachelor party, but Sans had quite the hangover the day after Papyrus had carried his snoozing form home.  
  
Finally, the day had come. The day was, mercifully, warm, sunny, and beautiful. The signs and ribbons denoting the trail greatly helped in ensuring that no one got lost this time, although Lesser Dog also stood near the start of the trail to help make sure people didn't miss it. The place was bustling with activity as monsters and humans alike toted chairs, tables, and supplies to the wedding site. Several members of the press, who had been carefully approved by Asgore and Mettaton, meandered about, recording the excitement over the first official human-monster wedding.  
  
You emerged from one of the tents that had been erected specifically for those of you setting up to change into your wedding attire. After all, it wouldn't do to ruin them before the wedding even started. Everything was just about ready, and the guests would be arriving soon, so you took a moment to actually get a good look at the place.  
  
This part of the forest was more sparsely wooded than the path you'd walked to get here. Grass and wildflowers dominated the forest floor as dappled sunlight peaked in through the trees above. As you explored the area, you noticed odd piles of rocks, almost hidden behind the moss that grew on them. As you looked around, it occurred to you why the rock piles seemed so strange.  
  
_"These don't seem random. They're too deliberate."_ Unfortunately, there wasn't really much to go on. Whatever they had once been, if you weren't simply letting your imagination run away with you, had long-since been forgotten.  
  
Still, the area was quiet and beautiful. You could see why Sarah and Azzy would have come here. You began to wonder which one of them had found this place...  
  
"_____! THERE YOU ARE!" You turned to see Papyrus jogging over to you. "I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU! IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR THE WEDDING TO START!"  
  
"Oh!" You exclaimed, and looked back the way Papyrus had come from. You hadn't even realized how far you had wandered. "We better get back, then!"  
  
Papyrus extended his arm with a bright smile, which you gladly accepted. The two of you walked back to the wedding area, where most of the guests were already seated and chatting amongst themselves. The wedding photographer and press alike were busy snapping pictures of the guests and decorations. The catering crew was also busy setting up the refreshments nearby for once the ceremony was completed. Near the archway in front of the chairs, Asgore and Toriel were talking, and you noticed a slightly blush on both their faces. They looked... happy.  
  
"You go ahead and take your place, Paps. I'm just going to double-check to see if there's anything else Sarah needs before the wedding begins." You nodded your head over to the tent where Candi would be helping Sarah with her final preparations.  
  
"VERY WELL!" Papyrus nodded, and headed up to take his place, just as practiced.  
  
You walked over to the tent, pausing to greet Gerson, who was waiting outside, leaning against a knobbly cane. "Hey, Gerson. Are you ready to escort Sarah down the aisle?"  
  
Gerson nodded, giving you one of his crooked smiles. "As ready as ever, kiddo. Though, it may be a bit difficult if I have to wait much longer. These old joints aren't what they used to be, you know."  
  
"It shouldn't be much longer," you assured him. Then, after a moment's hesitation, you spoke again. "Thanks, by the way. For agreeing to escort her."  
  
"It's no trouble. I'm told the bride is traditionally escorted by her father, but she's not on speaking terms with hers. It's a pity, really. The man's a damn fool if he can't see what a sweet kid she is."  
  
You nodded in agreement. "I'm going to go check on her now."  
  
"I'll be here." Gerson nodded you towards the entrance flap behind him.  
  
After announcing yourself, you ducked inside the tent. Despite what TV taught you to expect, while Candi was flitting about nitpicking over every little detail, Sarah herself was perfectly calm.  
  
"How's everything going in here?" You asked.  
  
"Terrible! I can't get this damn curl to stay where it's suppose to!" Candi lamented, gesturing to a stray curl of hair that had escaped Sarah's perfectly styled bun.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous, Candi! It's fine!" Sarah laughed. "In fact, I kind of like it. It's a rebel, just like me." Her eyes glittered with amusement.  
  
Candi burst into laughter. "Well, when you put it THAT way, maybe it ain't so bad."  
  
"You ready, then?" You asked.  
  
"For longer than you can imagine." Sarah smiled wistfully.  
  
Sarah was just standing up from her chair when there was a commotion outside the tent.  
  
"You don't understand! I need to speak to- OW!"  
  
"It's downright RUDE to crash a WEDDING, whippersnapper!"  
  
Being the closest to the entrance, you were the first to stick your head outside to see what was going on.  
  
Gerson stood in front of the flap, cane raised threateningly at some man you didn't recognize, who was busy nursing a lump on his head. The man was wearing an ill-fitting tuxedo and looked like he'd shaved in a hurry, as he had several nicks and cuts along his jaw. Behind him, two teenagers, an older boy, probably around 18, and a younger girl, clearly closer to 13, stood, warily eyeing the guards and attendees, including Azzy, who had approached to deal with the wedding crashers.  
  
Sarah and Candi were right behind you in checking out the disturbance.  
  
"What's going on out he- daddy??" Sarah stopped short as she spotted the man, her eyes going wide in shock.  
  
"Pumpkin!" The man, apparently her father, seemed absolutely relieved to see her.  
  
"Sarah!" shouted the girl, charging past everyone and tackling Sarah in a hug.  
  
"Chrissy! Oh my god! Look how big you've gotten!" Sarah smiled down at the girl, who wasn't much shorter than her. She looked up at the boy. "And lil' Davey!"  
  
The boy, taller than all of them, smiled slightly at her. "Just who are you calling, 'little'?"  
  
"You're right. I guess you're not so little anymore." Sarah laughed. She then looked back to her father and sobered once again. "What are you all doing here?"  
  
Sarah's father tugged nervously at his too-tight collar. "We saw in the paper that you were getting married." he explained.  
  
Sarah looked conflicted. She had clearly been happy to see Chrissy and Davey. Her father, not so much. "And so... what? You thought you'd just waltz back into my life after all these years?"  
  
Her father flinched, hard.  
  
"Does mom know you guys are here?" She asked, warily.  
  
Davey scoffed. "It doesn't matter, even if she did. She's got no say, anymore."  
  
"What??" Sarah asked, confused.  
  
Her father cleared his throat and spoke up. "I finally got my act together. Been sober for two years, now, and managed to get sole custody."  
  
Sarah seemed stunned.  
  
Sarah's father continued. "I... I'm so, so sorry I wasn't there for you, pumpkin. Not like I should have been. I was a mess. I was the parent, but you spent more time taking care of me. After your mother kicked you out, I finally started to see how bad things really were. I realized that you were the glue that had been holding this family together. She divorced me for her new boyfriend and, of course, she won custody of Davey and Chrissy."  
  
"We were miserable without you, Sarah." Chrissy told her.  
  
"So, I finally started trying to quit drinking. It was... It was hard, but I knew I had to. For Davey and Chrissy. You were always so outspoken and independent, but they... They needed someone there to look out for them. They needed me to be the father I should have been from the beginning." He admitted.  
  
"When we saw you were getting married, we all agreed that we couldn't miss such an important part of your life. So, here we are." Davey concluded.  
  
"I know you're not that happy to see me, and I understand if you want me to leave. But won't you let Davey and Chrissy stay? They've missed you so much, Sarah." her father pleaded.  
  
All was quiet as everyone waited with baited breath for Sarah's response. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears. Then, she stepped forward, fully out of the tent and pulled the three wedding crashes to her in a hug as her tears began to fall. "Of course you can stay! I've missed you all so much!"  
  
The three returned the embrace and the tension in the air dissipated.  
  
Sarah finally pulled back and waved Azzy over from where he was standing nearby. "Azzy! I'd like you to meet my family! This is my father, Simon, and my brother and sister, Davey and Chrissy. Everyone, this is my fiancé, Azzy."  
  
Azzy smiled gently at them, shaking each of their hands. "It's nice to meet you."  
  
"It's nice to meet you, too." they each replied.  
  
One of the wedding organizers caught the group's attention and pointed to her watch. They were already running late.  
  
"Oh! We, uh, better find some seats." Simon spoke up, ushering his two children towards the chairs.  
  
"Daddy, wait!" Sarah reached out and grabbed his sleeve, stopping him. "Would you... Would you walk me down the aisle?" She asked him, then shot a glance at Gerson. "I mean, if Gerson doesn't mind..."  
  
Gerson smiled at her. "Ain't no scale off my back. I still think he's a fool for taking so long to see what he had, but better late than never, I suppose."  
  
With that decided, everyone rushed to take their places so the wedding could finally begin. You stood in between Candi, the maid of honor, and Mariana. Across from you stood Maury, the mouse monster and Azzy's best man, Papyrus, and Arctos the bear. Azzy smoothed out his suit as he took his place.  
  
About a minute later, after everyone had finally settled, Undyne began to play a beautiful version of 'Here Comes the Bride' on the piano keyboard that had been set up for her.  
  
Everyone turned to watch as Sarah walked down the aisle, escorted by her father. Once they reached the front, Simon handed her off and quickly found a seat. Sarah and Azzy smiled at each other, then turned to Asgore, who was beaming happily down at them.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to celebrate a momentous occasion in the lives of our friends, Azzy and Sarah Bolcavich." Asgore's deep voice rumbled. "Our lives are often filled with hardships and struggles as we try to live the best that we can in this world. However, there is also a great deal of joy. For every sorrowful memory, there is hope that tomorrow will be a better day. That hope grows ever stronger when we find the one with whom we can share our thoughts, our dreams, our very souls with." He gestured towards the couple. "Greater yet, is the hope these two share with all of us, as they prove that monsters and humans need not be enemies. That the bond of love between two souls transcends all that makes us different."  
  
Your eyes drifted towards the groomsmen and caught sight of Papyrus staring at you. His smile was soft and gentle, and he was looking at you as if you were the most beautiful thing in the world. You felt your heart begin to quicken, and a pulsing warmth within your chest.  
  
"Azzy and Sarah have each prepared their vows to each other for this occasion, and will exchange rings as a symbol of their eternal love. Now, the rings, please?"  
  
Asgore looked out to the crowd where Frisk was waiting with the rings. Rather than come up alone, Frisk grabbed Chrissy's hand and, smiling at her, pulled her up to bear the rings with them. Sarah and Azzy smiled brightly at the two as they accepted the rings.  
  
"Azzy, if you will begin." Asgore nodded.  
  
Azzy cleared his throat and took Sarah's hands within his own. "Sarah, my darling, you are the shining sun. Where once my soul wallowed in darkness, your love has lifted me from despair and granted me the strength to follow you eternally. I promise to love you always, as you have loved me. You are my heart, my soul, my everything, and no matter where you may wander, or what may come between us, I promise I will keep searching until we are together once again."  
  
Azzy slid the ring on Sarah's finger as he finished, and Asgore nodded to her to indicate it was her turn. "Azzy, my love, you are the moon and stars. You have brought into my life the spark of magic and wonder that I never knew was missing. You have opened my eyes to the world around me and all it has to offer. I love you with all my heart, and will always be there with hand outstretched when you need me. I would wait a thousand years to meet you again, for my heart, my soul will always belong to you."  
  
Sarah placed the ring on Azzy's finger upon finishing her vows.  
  
Asgore stood a bit straighter, and all attention returned to him. "Such beautiful vows. It is my greatest honor, as the King of all monsters, to pronounce you husband and wife."  
  
No sooner had to words left his mouth than Sarah threw herself into Azzy's arms and kissed him deeply. The crowd cheered and clapped for the happy couple.  
  
Your eyes returned to Papyrus who was clapping enthusiastically, a joyful grin on his face as tears streamed from his sockets. He turned once again to meet your eyes, and you couldn't help but mirror his joy as Azzy and Sarah's vows continued to ring in your head.  
  
_"I would follow you to the ends of the earth."_  
  
\------------------------------  
  
There was a lot of cheering and chatter as tables were set up and the chairs moved so the reception could begin.  
  
Sarah and Azzy shared their first dance together as husband and wife before the groomsmen and bridesmaids were called out to join them. Naturally, you danced with Papyrus, while Candi paired off with Maury and Mariana with Arctos. After the slow dance had ended, livelier music was played at Sarah's insistence and more people joined in the dancing. Despite the fact that you'd never seen him do much besides putter around his book shop, Azzy was quite the lively dancer.  
  
Papyrus was quick to show that he had not allowed himself to get rusty after your first date with him. "NYEH HEH HEH! YOU ARE DOING VERY WELL!" he complimented you as you managed to keep up.  
  
"Haha! Looks like all that training with you and Undyne has more uses than I thought! I'm much better at reading your body language and following along, it seems." You chuckled.  
  
After a few more songs, you and Papyrus made your way out of the dance area and to the table where Undyne, Alphys, and Sans sat.  
  
"Way to go out there, nerds! Glad to see you haven't let all those dance lessons I gave you go to waste!" Undyne smiled proudly.  
  
"OF COURSE NOT! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WOULD NEVER ALLOW A FRIEND'S ASSISTANCE TO GO TO WASTE!"  
  
"You seem to have improved, as well, _____." Alphys complimented you.  
  
"Thanks, Alph." You smiled at her.  
  
"just watching you guys was making me want to take a nap." Sans commented from where he was slouched on the table.  
  
"SANS! SIT UP THIS INSTANT! NOT ONLY IS IT BAD FOR YOUR BACK, BUT IT'S RUDE TO BE SO LAZY AT A FRIEND'S WEDDING!" Papyrus scolded him.  
  
"is it?" Sans asked, then shrugged. "you're probably right, bro." He made some vague attempt to sit up, but moments later wound up slouching back in his chair, to Papyrus' annoyance.  
  
"Well, at least he's not leaning all over the table now?" you pointed out as Papyrus grumbled over how impossible his brother was.  
  
You all got your food and enjoyed some lunch in the mid-afternoon sun. After lunch, you all made sure to get some cake, too, which Muffet was proudly bragging about making.  
  
"Of course, dearies, they sought my pastry expertise," she boasted to RG01 and RG02 as she served them each a slice of cake. "Only the best for such dear friends! I even gave them a discount for this special occasion! Ahuhuhuhu!"  
  
"This looks amazing, dude! I'm, like, super excited to try it! I never was able to afford your pastries back in Hotland." RG01 bounced excitedly.  
  
"............... Same..." Agreed RG02, before the two headed back to their table.  
  
You approached Muffet, having already finished your slice of cake. "Thanks, Muffet! The cake was even more amazing than I expected!"  
  
"Ahuhuhu! You flatter me, dearie!" Muffet laughed coyly. "You should stop by the shop next week. I've got this new recipe I'm going to be trying out."  
  
"Sounds great! I'll have to bring Mariana along. She keeps complaining that I'm trying to make her fat by bringing your pastries to work so often, but that doesn't stop her from eating them! Haha!"  
  
"That sounds lovely. You should do that." Muffet smiled at you.  
  
Before you could say anything else, you were grabbed by the arm and whipped around by Undyne. "What are you doing over here?! Didn't you hear? Sarah's going to throw the bouquet!"  
  
"She, wha- OH!" You exclaimed.  
  
Before anything more could be said, Undyne picked you up and rushed you over to the growing crowd of bachelorettes.  
  
"Alright! Everyone ready?" Sarah asked, then turned to face away from the crowd. "One... Two... THREE!" She tossed the bouquet back over her head into the center of the crowd.  
  
"It's mine! NGAHHH!" Undyne dove through the throng of people as the bouquet descended.  
  
You, knowing what it was like to get in Undyne's way, stumbled away from the landing point, backwards towards the edge of the crowd. You exchanged a glance with Alphys who was also staying out of the mob and flashed you an embarrassed smile.  
  
"Ha HAH! I did it! These flowers are MINE! HAHAHAHA!" Undyne crowed triumphantly from the center of the crowd.  
  
The crowd backed off to reveal Undyne standing proudly, fist raised in the air with her prize held high as she cackled. As her laughter began to die down, Undyne noticed the strange looks everyone was giving her.  
  
"What?" she asked, confused.  
  
"U-Um... Undyne... You may want to take another look at that 'bouquet'..." Alphys pointed out.  
  
Undyne turned her head and came face-to-face with Annoying Dog, who was dangling by the leg she was gripping, but had his usual goofy smile and wagging tail.  
  
*Bark!* Annoying Dog barked at her, his tongue lolling out awkwardly from his upside-down head.  
  
"What... the FU-" Undyne deadpanned.  
  
"UNDYNE! LANGUAGE! THERE ARE CHILDREN PRESENT!" Papyrus cut her off.  
  
"Fudge..." Undyne finished lamely.  
  
Annoying Dog, somehow, managed to twist in Undyne's grip, then a weird look crossed his canine features before he belched in your direction.  
  
You were caught off-guard and didn't manage to react in time as something launched from Annoying Dog's jaws and smacked you in the face before falling into your arms. You spent a moment reeling over the fact that a dog had just projectile-vomited on you before it occurred to you that there was no mess. You glanced down to find the bouquet in your arms, just as pristine as when Sarah had thrown it. You looked back up in surprise at Annoying Dog, and he winked at you.  
  
The previously silent crowd exploded as they rushed to congratulate you.  
  
"Congratulations!"  
  
"Looks like you're next!"  
  
"How is that thing not covered in drool?"  
  
"I thought for sure that Undyne was going to be the one to catch it, but you're dating Papyrus, so that's pretty cool, too."  
  
You were a bit embarrassed and overwhelmed by the attention, and finally spotted Papyrus through the crowd. He was watching you, a furious blush across his cheekbones.  
  
Eventually, the excitement died down and you managed to get back to your table, sitting down next to Papyrus. You quickly took a drink and nearly choked when a strong, webbed hand slapped you on the back.  
  
"Hey, nerd! That was one hell of a catch!" Undyne grinned as she sat down next to you. "So, since you're apparently going to be the next one married, when should we be expecting the wedding?"  
  
"I, uh - *cough*" You coughed and sputtered a bit, Papyrus leaning over to pat you on the back as you did so.  
  
"UNDYNE! YOU SHOULDN'T PUT SO MUCH PRESSURE ON HER. MARRIAGE IS A BIG STEP." Papyrus chided her.  
  
"Sorry. You're right." Undyne apologized. She turned back to you. "Just don't take TOO long. There are, uh, others, who probably want to get married, too." She told you, a blush rising on her face.  
  
"It's just a tradition done for fun, Undyne. It's not a law, or anything. If you happen to know someone who's looking to propose, they shouldn't hold back on my account. Using me as an excuse to hold off would be pretty lame. They need to learn to face their fear head-on!" You gave Undyne a significant look.  
  
She stared back at you, her eye wide. Then, she beamed at you. "Hehe! You're right, punk! I- er, they, shouldn't back down! This is one battle they cannot lose! A battle of the heart! In this arena, love ALWAYS prevails!" She jumped to her feet, totally pumped and knocking over her chair. "I'll be back later, nerds!" And with that, she took off.  
  
"DOCTOR ALPHYS IS A LUCKY MONSTER TO HAVE SOMEONE LIKE UNDYNE." Papyrus commented as he watched Undyne run off.  
  
"Haha, yeah. They really are good together, aren't they?" You smiled as you did the same.  
  
"Heya, kiddos. Mind if I rest my old bones here a bit?" You turned back around to see Gerson already settling into a chair across the table without waiting for an answer.  
  
"Go right ahead." You replied, vaguely amused as he let out a contented sigh.  
  
"HOW ARE YOU ENJOYING THE FESTIVITIES, MR. HAMMER OF JUSTICE?" Papyrus asked.  
  
"Mr. what now?" Gerson shook his head, chuckling. "Just call me Gerson, kid. Anyway, it's nice, but I can't move about like you kids these days." he gestured with his head to the dance area, where Monster Kid was showing off some fairly impressive break-dancing skills for someone with no arms.  
  
"Not that I don't appreciate the company, but you're not the type to just wander over for some idle conversation, so, what's up?" You asked him.  
  
Gerson threw his head back and laughed. "Whahaha! You got me there, kid." He gestured with his head towards the table where Toriel, Frisk, Flowey, and Asgore were. "Ol' King Fluffybuns was getting on my nerves a bit with all his hemming and hawing over whether he should come over and talk to you. He seems to have it stuck in his head that you'll tell him off before he even gets the chance to speak."  
  
"WHY WOULD HE THINK THAT??" Papyrus asked, confused.  
  
"Eh, he mostly feels guilty about how messed up you turned out." Gerson shrugged. You eyed him, slightly offended. "After watching that first interview you did last year, he realized just how dangerous of a situation we left you in way back when. Keeps saying that we might have been able to avoid the whole thing if we'd offered you and the other mages shelter. I keep telling him there's no way we could have known things would turn out that way and there's no point fretting over it now, but he just can't help himself."  
  
"WELL, HOW DOES HE EXPECT ANYTHING TO GET BETTER IF HE DOESN'T TALK TO HER ABOUT IT?" Papyrus asked with a huff. He then turned and waved at the other table. "YOUR MAJESTY! YOU SHOULD COME JOIN US!"  
  
Asgore looked downright startled by the loud invitation, and it took both Toriel and Frisk shooing him away for him to finally walk over and take an awkward seat next to Gerson.  
  
He cleared his throat and gave you both his best friendly smile, considering how nervous he was. "Howdy! Are you, uh... Are you enjoying yourself?"  
  
"I am. The food is great, the music's excellent, and it's great to see everyone so happy!" You returned Asgore's smile.  
  
"I, TOO, AM HAVING A GREAT TIME!" Papyrus beamed.  
  
"That is good to hear! I am not as familiar with Napstablook's 'DJ' form of music, but it is quite interesting." Asgore responded.  
  
A vaguely awkward silence descended upon the table. After a minute, Gerson gave Asgore a not-so-subtle kick.  
  
"Oh! Uh... Congratulations on catching the flower bouquet earlier." He smiled nervously at you once again.  
  
"Thank you." you replied.  
  
"I must admit... I'm not quite familiar with that particular human tradition..." Asgore admitted.  
  
"IT'S QUITE SIMPLE, YOUR MAJESTY! WHICH EVER PERSON CATCHES THE BOUQET IS SAID TO BE THE NEXT ONE TO BE MARRIED!" Papyrus proudly explained as if it was obvious, even though you had needed to explain it to him only a month ago. He then proceeded to blush furiously once again at the implication of you being the one to catch it.  
  
"Oh? Oh!" Asgore's eyes widened as he took in both your blushing faces. "Congratulations truly are in order, then!"  
  
"It's just for fun." you explained, trying to tamp down on your blush. "Honestly, with the way she rushed off tonight, I'd be surprised if Undyne and Alphys aren't the next ones to be married."  
  
Asgore truly smiled at that. "Ah, so those two are finally taking their relationship to the next level? I am glad to hear that. They both deserve to be happy."  
  
You, too, smiled more genuinely at the thought. "That they do."  
  
This time, Gerson nudged Asgore and the two exchanged a look before Gerson nodded silently to him. You watched as Asgore seemed to steel himself before speaking again. "I'm sure you must have been as busy as myself lately, what with helping promote monster equality and then helping plan a wedding, but I was wondering..." He trailed off and took a deep breath before continuing. "I was wondering if, perhaps, when we are both free, you'd like to join me for tea...?" He smiled nervously at you.  
  
A true smile crept across your face. It was the one thing you worried would never happen... Asgore, your old friend, was offering you a chance at friendship once again. "I would love that." you beamed at him.  
  
Asgore's eyes widened at your acceptance before a bright smile crossed his features, and Gerson gave you that old knowing smile of his.  
  
You felt bony fingers entwine with your own beneath the table, and you glanced at Papyrus who was looking at you with such pride and joy over this latest development.  
  
After hundreds of years of guilt, you could finally feel the weight lifted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a long, hard journey, but it seems things are finally coming together for Reader. She's dating Papyrus, she's found acceptance among both humans and monsters, monsters have taken the first major steps towards equality in years, and Reader's friendship with Asgore is finally beginning to be rekindled. 
> 
> Honestly, we don't have much more left to do after all that. There's just a few more loose ends to tie up before Reader and Papyrus finally get their happy ending. It's been one hell of a ride, guys. It's been so fun and exciting to share this with you, and I hope you've all enjoyed it as much as I have!
> 
> I just started playing Pokemon Sun and Moon, although my experience got to a very bad start because of Amazon. I pre-ordered it from them with release day delivery, so it should have been here yesterday. Key words: "should have". It didn't arrive until 3pm today, after I'd already gotten pissed enough and gone out to buy the game at GameStop. (Since I had no idea when or IF it would arrive today. It claimed it was, but it also claimed it would be here "by 8pm" yesterday, so...) Now I've got to fight with Amazon over the fact that they didn't deliver as advertised. That'll be the first, and last, time I pre-order ANYTHING from them. (Especially since, after venting to friends, they knew exactly who I'd ordered from without me having to mention it because of similar experiences.)
> 
> Add onto that the fact that the heater is keeping the house at a 80+ degrees despite being set much lower, and my weekend is kind of shitty so far. Once my DS finishes recharging, I think I might go outside so I can stop sweating.


	51. Happily Ever After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we've finally done it! We've reached the end. This chapter will tie up the remaining loose ends for this story. (Including some unresolved sexual tension which will be marked for those who prefer this story smut-free. Basic run-down of any important details will be in the end-note.)
> 
> It's been a long journey, but it's also been a lot of fun! I've been thinking of doing some drabbles based on this fic. Basically scenes, details, and fun stuff that just didn't fit in here without dragging things on too long. If you've got any questions, thoughts, or ideas you'd like to see expanded upon, let me know in the comments! It doesn't have to be just Reader/Papyrus stuff, either. Anything that fits into this universe is fine. :) 
> 
> Thanks everyone for your support, and I hope you enjoy this final chapter!

"hey, paps." Sans called out to get Papyrus' attention as the last bit of clean-up for the wedding was being finished.  
  
Papyrus set down the table he'd been carrying and turned to his brother. "WHAT IS IT, SANS?"  
  
"i gotta head out, now. if i don't, i'll be late to that night shift at the security office." Sans explained.  
  
"ALRIGHT, SANS. WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO BE HOME?"  
  
Sans shrugged. "probably not til sometime late tomorrow morning. i was thinking of hitting up grillby's after my shift. he's added this 'ultimate breakfast hotdog' thing to his menu with bacon, eggs, and sausages all on a toasted bun and topped with hashed browns, cheese, and tomatoes, but i haven't been by early enough to try it yet."  
  
Papyrus was scowling. "I DID NOT REALIZE IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR HIM TO SERVE GREASIER FOOD THAN HE ALREADY WAS. HIS DEDICATION TO THE ARTISTRY OF FAT IS TRULY ASTOUNDING." he deadpanned. Sans couldn't help but chuckle. "VERY WELL, BUT DON'T COMPLAIN TO ME IF, ONE DAY, ALL THAT GREASY FOOD FORCES YOU TO TAKE UP THE HUMANS' GROSS BATHROOM HABITS."  
  
Sans laughed at that. "no worries, bro. i'm sure i'll be too **pooped** for that once i get home."  
  
"SANS!" Papyrus stomped his foot as he screeched in frustration over the pun.  
  
Sans grinned. "as much fun as it is to see you **flush** with frustration, i really do need to go. later, bro!" he waved lazily, and walked off into the slowly darkening woods, where Papyrus knew he'd take a shortcut as soon as he was out of sight.  
  
Papyrus huffed then called back, "I WILL SEE YOU TOMORROW, BROTHER!"  
  
You approached, carrying a chair at that point. "Where's he going?"  
  
Papyrus turned to you. "HE TOOK A NIGHT SHIFT AT HIS SECURITY JOB SO HE COULD ATTEND THE WEDDING TODAY."  
  
"Oh!" You exclaimed in surprise. "I figured he would have just taken the day off. He's going to be more exhausted than usual."  
  
"NYEH... KNOWING MY BROTHER, HE'LL FIND A WAY TO NAP THROUGH THE ENTIRE SHIFT WHILE SOMEHOW STILL MANAGING TO DO HIS JOB WELL ENOUGH TO NOT BE FIRED. HE IS VERY SKILLED AT MAINTAINING THE BARE MINIMUM OF EFFORT."  
  
"True. I've never met anyone who worked so hard at working so little." You chuckled.  
  
"HE TRULY IS A MASTER OF SLOTH." Papyrus nodded, before perking back up. "BUT I AM NOT! COME! WE NEED TO FINISH CLEANING UP BEFORE IT GETS DARK!" Papyrus hoisted the table back up, leading the way.  
  
"I'm right behind you." You lifted your chair and followed.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The two of you laid cuddled together on the sofa, the only light in the room coming from the TV. You were having a rare late-night movie-thon, since Undyne had called to cancel training for tomorrow morning. Undyne had hedged around why she was canceling training, but given Alphys' gushing online about their relationship, you were willing to bet that things had gone well after Undyne had rushed off during the reception, and they were busy enjoying each other's company. The thought brought a smile to your face and you pulled the blanket draped over the both of you tighter as you snuggled closer to Papyrus.  
  
Papyrus glanced down at where you were laying, pressed against his side as the two of you splayed across the couch. A soft smile graced his features as he took in your own sleepy smile as you watched the movie with your head laying against his chest.  
  
Honestly, he had no idea what was actually going on in the movie. He couldn't seem to stop his mind from wandering to you. Not that he minded, really. You were a very pleasant person to think about. He brought his hand up and began stroking his fingers through your hair as you invaded his thoughts once more.  
  
He thought about how beautiful and amazing you are. You had endured so much over the years. Your lives had been filled with pain and suffering. Yet, you were still capable of such incredible love. Yes, you had buckled under the threat of violence and done terrible things where other souls may have remained defiant, but would those souls have been able to ignite the friendships you had? Would they have so easily forgiven Undyne for attacking them, or Sans for his stalking and fearful suspicions? Papyrus didn't think so. That was where your soul's true strength laid. Where others would see a dangerous enemy, you had found the seeds of forgiveness and friendship. Where others may have given up on ever finding acceptance, you had continued to hope.  
  
Papyrus' soul swelled with pride and love. You were every bit the incredible person he'd always known you could be, and here you were, sharing that incredible warmth and kindness with him.  
  
You had very nearly fallen asleep to the comforting feeling of Papyrus' fingers stroking through your hair when he shifted and you felt teeth gently make contact with the top of your head. You tilted your head up as they pulled away to see Papyrus staring down at you, a gentle, loving expression on his face and the feel of his soul thrumming through his bones underneath his pajamas. You returned the smile and pulled yourself up a bit to press a kiss to his teeth.  
  
The kiss was long and gentle. Your lips moving lazily over his teeth as you savored the feeling. Papyrus' hand continued to stroke the back of your head as he tilted his own to alter the angle of the kiss. Soon, his other hand came up to cup your cheek. Eyes and eye sockets alike drifted part-way open as you finally broke off the kiss for air.  
  
Papyrus felt the soft puff of your breath against his teeth as you stared into each other's eyes. He, too, was breathing heavier, despite not actually needing to breath. He vaguely remembered his brother trying to explain why that was when he was younger, but it had been mostly lost on him.  
  
He brought his teeth once again to your lips and listened to you hum in contentment. He summoned his tongue and parted his teeth slightly to allow it to trace along your lips, feeling a brief spike of pride and excitement as you let out a soft gasp and parted your lips wider to allow him entrance. His tongue entwined with yours as his hand left your cheek and began to trail down your arm. Your own arms pulled you up more fully on top of him before wrapping around his neck. He felt that heady thrum of magic as you straddled him, pressing your pelvis flush against his own.  
  
***** // It's getting got in here! If skeleton porn isn't your thing, you should jump to the next set of asterisks.  
  
You smiled into the kiss when Papyrus groaned as you straddled him. You loved the sounds he made. You groaned in turn as his hands snaked up your shirt and cupped your breasts. You were proud at how bold he'd become while you two were making out. A year ago, he would never have dared touch you this way without getting your express permission, despite your assurances that you'd let him know if he was overstepping his bounds.  
  
You felt your bra go slack before skeletal fingers nudged it out of the way and cupped your breasts directly, massaging them in such a way that your nipples were teased between his bones. You pulled back from the kiss to moan at the sensation and pressed yourself into his hands, your hips grinding against his as you wiggled.  
  
If Papyrus had eyeballs, they would have rolled up towards the back of his head as you moaned and writhed against him. The feeling of your breasts in his hands and your heat rubbing against his pelvis was exquisite. He felt that, now familiar, need building rapidly within him. For the briefest moment, the memory of Sans walking in on you two flashed to the front of his mind. Papyrus froze completely, his eye sockets widening in realization.  
  
You felt Papyrus tense and go stock-still. You glanced at his face, concerned, and saw his eye sockets, wide and blazing with magic, as he stared down at you.  
  
"Papyrus? What's wrong?" You asked.  
  
"SANS ISN'T HERE. HE WON'T BE HERE UNTIL MORNING." Papyrus explained.  
  
Your eyes widened as you, too, realized what that meant. Your eyes lidded and a salacious smile crossed your face. "Shall we take this upstairs, then?" you purred, rolling your hips against his.  
  
"IF YOU DON'T MIND." Papyrus rumbled back before cupping your ass to hold you in place as he stood.  
  
You wrapped your arms and legs around him as he carried you up the stairs and into his bedroom. Papyrus had taken only two steps into his room before he stopped, turned back around, and clicked the lock into place.  
  
His eyes met your amused ones and he flushed slightly. "J-JUST IN CASE..."  
  
You chuckled. "Probably a good idea."  
  
Papyrus deposited you onto the bed, and was quick to follow. He pressed a needy kiss to your lips and felt your fingers immediately get to work undoing the buttons on his pajama top. His own hands were back up under your shirt exploring every inch of skin they could reach. Once you had undone the last button of his shirt, he helped you push it back off his shoulders before chucking it to the floor. You took that moment to break the kiss off and remove your own shirt and bra, which still hung loosely from your shoulders.  
  
Papyrus pushed you backwards until you were laying down, bringing his head down to tease your breasts with teeth and tongue. Each of your moans brought a stab of longing, of need to his heated bones.  
  
He couldn't resist. His hand that wasn't holding him up above you snaked its way past the waistband of your pajama pants and down to your folds. He felt the slickness of your arousal and let out a rumbling groan of approval when you gasped and moaned loudly as he found your clit.  
  
You continued to gasp and moan as Papyrus teased your body. His exploring finger dipped into your entrance and you groaned in excitement and frustration. It wasn't enough. Although your waistband was stretchy, it still limited the angle of Papyrus' arm, and, frankly, that just wasn't working out for you. Your hands left their own explorations of his bones and began shoving your pants down. Upon realizing what you were doing, Papyrus was happy to help.  
  
With your pants discarded, Papyrus was back upon you. He used his teeth and tongue to nip at a particularly sensitive spot where your neck and shoulder meet, he pressed his ribcage against your front and rocked back and forth, allowing the natural ridges of his ribs to rub against and stimulate your breasts, and his fingers returned to teasing your clit as he thrust his fingers inside your heat.  
  
You couldn't have stopped your moans if you had to. Papyrus was certainly demonstrating that he'd been paying attention to where your erogenous zones were. All you could do at the moment was hold on. Your fingers weaved into his ribs, causing him to moan against your neck as you rubbed the sensitive inner side. Your legs hooked up around him and you began to meet the thrust of his fingers as they dipped in and out of you.  
  
"Ah.... Fuck.... Pa-pyrus..." You groaned desperately as you felt your need building higher and higher.  
  
Papyrus pulled his head back from your neck to look at you, and his bones began to rattle at what he saw. Your jaw hung open slightly as a constant string of gasps and moans spilled forth, you were trembling slightly and a light sheen of sweat had built up on your skin. Your eyes were closed and your expression... he didn't know how to describe it. It was pained and desperate, but also needy and wanting. The smell of your arousal with thick in the air, and the sound of his fingers plunging in and out of you filled in the silence between your moans.  
  
Papyrus had never seen anything more sexy in his life.  
  
You were close. So very, very close. Through the haze of lust, it occurred to you that Papyrus' skull was no longer buried in your neck, and your eyes drifted open. He was inches from your face, just watching you with blazing orange eyes as you writhed and moaned beneath him. The fiery, lustful look on his face caused your already racing heart to skip a beat and the last threads of your control to snap.  
  
Papyrus watched as your eyes opened slightly and looked up at him. He met your flushed gaze unwaveringly and then, with a stuttered cry, your eyes rolled back, your body arched up into his own and began to tremble even more than it had been before, and your inner walls began to clench at his fingers.  
  
Papyrus stared down at you in wonder. He'd brought you to orgasm. Those videos he had watched last year with Undyne and Alphys had not done the act justice, as far as Papyrus was concerned. Nothing could possibly compare to the sight of you in the throes of passion.  
  
You were utterly amazing. So soft, and passionate, and loving, and wonderful, and BEAUTIFUL...  
  
You were staring up at him, wide-eyed, your blush having somehow managed to intensify. It was then that Papyrus realized that he'd spoken those last thoughts out loud.  
  
A large, loving smile spread across your face, your arms coming up to wrap around his neck and pull him down for a brief kiss before pulling back and pressing your foreheads together. "That's quite the high praise coming from the Great Papyrus."  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH... THAT'S BECAUSE IT'S THE TRUTH..." Papyrus brought his fingers up to trace along your cheek, never breaking eye contact.  
  
Your heart was practically bursting with the love you felt for Papyrus. _"How did I ever get to be so lucky as to be with someone like him?"_ You questioned.  
  
The two of you continued to lay there basking in each other's presence for several minutes, content with gentle kisses and soft touches.  
  
You shifted slightly, your body brushing against Papyrus', and he broke off the current kiss to let out a deep moan, his hips thrusting against your own automatically. You glanced down and immediately flushed with horrified embarrassment at the sight of the bright orange glow emanating from his pants.  
  
_"Shit! How could I have possibly forgotten that he still hasn't gotten off?!"_ You had been so wrapped up in the sensations and feelings he was providing you with, that his own need had completely slipped your mind. Your heart sank at how selfish you had been.  
  
"WHAT'S WRONG? DID I MAKE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE AGAIN? WE CAN STOP IF YOU WANT TO." Papyrus asked, cupping your cheek and bringing your face back up to look at his.  
  
"N-No! It's not that... I just... I just realized that as good... no, as amazing as you've made me feel, I haven't been returning the favor..." To emphasize your point, you ran your hand over his clothed erection.  
  
Papyrus let out a sharp gasp at the contact before giving you a, slightly strained, but still genuine smile. "YOU DO NOT NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THAT. IT'S NICE, BUT IT'S NOTHING COMPARED TO JUST BEING HERE WITH YOU. YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE TO."  
  
"But I want to." You told him. "That is... if you want me to..." You hesitated, remembering just how inexperienced Papyrus was and how he had needed to ease in to making out with you before he'd become fully comfortable with it. "I-If you're not ready for this, that's perfectly fine! I don't want you to feel like you have to do anything you're not comfortable with!"  
  
"I- NO! I MEAN, YES? THAT IS, I DO WANT TO DO THIS. I REALLY, **REALLY** DO..." he emphasized. "I JUST DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK YOU HAVE TO JUST BECAUSE I... YOU KNOW..." he trailed off briefly, glancing away from you as a blush spread across his cheeks at the memory of your release. His eyes then returned to you, a smoldering, lustful look in them, his voice noticeably dropping an octave, "BUT IF YOU REALLY DO WANT TO..."  
  
You smiled at him and pressed another kiss to his teeth. "I do..." you pushed at his shoulder and guided him to lay on his back on the bed before straddling his hips once again.  
  
Papyrus' breath hitched and his soul pulsed a little bit faster in anticipation. Your naked form hovering over him, flirty smile on your face as you leaned in to kiss him. Your tongue traced along his teeth before he parted them to let you inside. His tongue met yours, entwining with it and relishing the sensations.  
  
His hands began to run up and down your sides as you broke the kiss to trail your lips along his jaw. When you reached his cervical vertebrae, he groaned in approval as you wrapped your lips around his bones and sucked lightly. Not for the first time, he wished he had lips to return the favor. His prior attempts to use his magic to create lips had failed spectacularly. They were apparently a lot more complex than they looked, requiring an extensive array of muscles to move properly. Thankfully, he had discovered this in private and hadn't had to deal with the embarrassment of making that realization while trying to kiss you.  
  
You shifted back, allowing most of your weight to be supported by your legs and freeing up your hands. This caused Papyrus to hiss and thrust his hips up into yours as you inevitably rubbed his erection. You chuckled as you reaffirmed your balance before nipping at his collarbone while one hand gripped at his ribs and rubbed along the inside, and the other began to rub up and down the lower half of his spine.  
  
You were nearly bucked off of him as he cried out and thrust up once again.  
  
"S-SORRY..." Papyrus blushed in embarrassment as you pushed yourself back up from where you'd collapsed onto his rib cage as he upset your balance.  
  
You gave him a wry smile. "Nothing to be sorry for. That was my own fault for teasing you while positioned like that. Not that I regret your reaction..." you finished with a purr.  
  
Papyrus' soul thumped hard at your lusty purr. He watched as you carefully shifted downwards, kneeling between his legs this time. You leaned over once again and began running your hands up his spine to the inside of his rib cage.  
  
"A-AAHH..." He moaned out, arching up as your fingers splayed out and explored the inside of his ribcage. You alternated between soft, exploratory touches and dragging your nails along his bones. The contrast was incredible, and the further up your hands moved, the more sensitive he became until he teetered somewhere on the edge of pleasure and pain as you were just inches from where his soul thundered invisibly in his chest.  
  
Before Papyrus could figure out if the sensation was a little too much or if he wanted MORE, your hands reversed their course and trailed their way back down. He was simultaneously relieved and disappointed.  
  
You trailed your hands back down as you watched Papyrus pant and moan and heave. You didn't think you'd ever seen him look so winded, even after training with Undyne. It kind of made you proud that after just a few short minutes you could make him look so thoroughly wrecked.  
  
You gave him a minute or two to catch his breath a bit before you began massaging the top of his pelvis. It wouldn't do to let him calm all the way down, after all.  
  
Papyrus gripped the sheets beneath him and rolled his hips into your questing hands. His need throbbed against the front of his pants as he resisted the urge to free it from its confines. He was enjoying your unpredictable touches and didn't want to **dick** tate what you should do.  
  
Papyrus let out an annoyed groan at the accidental pun, but you didn't seem to notice the difference. You were far too busy nudging his pants down inch by inch, taking your time exploring his pelvis as more and more of it was exposed. Papyrus grunted as his pants hooked on his throbbing need, halting their progress down. Your amused eyes locked with Papyrus' desperately needy sockets before you hooked your fingers just under the waistband at either side of his pelvis. Your fingers slowly traced towards the front, stretching the elastic up away from his hips before reaching the front and freeing the tip of his erection from its elastic prison.  
  
Your expression turned downright devious as you positioned your hands, index fingers flush against the sides of his erection, and thumbs pressed against the underside through the fabric of his pants. When you began the slow, taunting process of pulling his pants the rest of the way down his hips, your fingers were in the perfect position to rub along him the entire way down.  
  
"AAAAHHH!!" Papyrus cried out, arching his hips up off the mattress. This was actually quite helpful in getting his pants fully past his pelvis.  
  
Once Papyrus' hips came back down, you shifted out of the way to finish removing his pants while he laid there panting.  
  
He did not have long to recover, though, before you had repositioned yourself between his legs and began to explore his pelvis with fingers, lips, and tongue.  
  
Much to Papyrus' frustration, you did not touch his erection. You ghosted around it, leaving him to twitch helplessly at every puff of breath or lock of hair that grazed it.  
  
"P-PLEASE..." He whined needily.  
  
His eye sockets, which he didn't even remember closing, peaked open as the sensations stopped and drifted down to where you sat, looking up at him with as much smug pride as the skeleton who had captured the human.  
  
"Please, what, Papyrus?" your lilting voice teased him, causing him to groan.  
  
"PLEASE, T-TOUCH ME..." he managed to pant out, only partially embarrassed to be saying something so lewd out loud.  
  
"Touch you?" You asked. "Like this?" you began to rub your hands up and down his femurs which, while it felt nice, was definitely NOT what he had been asking for.  
  
Papyrus didn't need the devious look on your face to know that you were PERFECTLY aware that that hadn't been what he wanted. What he NEEDED. He tensed, a growl that wavered somewhere between frustration and need escaping his teeth. The urge to just flip the both of you over and pin you to the bed was almost irresistible. Before his control could snap, however, you granted him mercy.  
  
"Or maybe you meant... like this..." you brought your head down and slowly ran your tongue up from the base of his shaft all the way to the tip, drawing a long moan out of him.  
  
The sight of Papyrus just moments ago, looking like he was about to pounce on you and ravish you, left your knees weak and you fluttering with need. It was a dark, primal side to him you were sure no one had ever seen before, maybe not even him, and it left you both nervous and incredibly excited. On the one hand, he had looked so predatory and **dangerous**... on the other hand, this was Papyrus. You did not doubt, even for a moment, that he would never, EVER allow himself to hurt you.  
  
You relished the moan that escaped him as you licked your way up his length. Once you had reached the tip, you withdrew your tongue and waited for him to look back down, locking your eyes with his own. You held his gaze and snaked your tongue out to run along his tip. He groaned, but resisted the urge to throw his head back, determined to maintain that eye contact. That taste of his magic... that sensation that could only be 'Papyrus', tingled down the back of your throat as you lapped up the pre-cum weeping down his head. Papyrus was panting as he watched, and you gave him one last smirk before wrapping your lips around the tip of his cock.  
  
As much as he wanted to, Papyrus couldn't maintain eye contact as he felt your lips wrap around him. "_-_____!" he cried your name out brokenly as he threw his head back once again. Never had he felt something like this before. He gasped and choked and moaned as you sucked on the tip of his shaft, your tongue swirling around it in that incredible, soft, damp heat, before running teasingly along the slit where his cum was leaking out.  
  
Papyrus' hips thrust up, but you were prepared for that inevitability. Your arms rested against his hips, limiting his movement. After the thrust, though, you bobbed your head down further.  
  
Papyrus moaned loudly as you began to take in more of him, his hands coming up and weaving into your hair. You adjusted your arms so you could use your hands to stroke the part of him you couldn't take into your mouth.  
  
As your head continued to bob up and down, Papyrus finally willed his head back up to watch you. You were no longer looking up at him, concentrating on your task. The sight of you like this was so incredibly dirty, but he couldn't help but like it. He continued to gasp and moan as the feelings of pleasure coiled tighter and tighter within him. He was getting close... so close... but...  
  
He wanted something **more**.  
  
Your jaw was beginning to ache as you continued to suck off Papyrus, but you were determined to bring him to completion just as he had for you. You shifted a bit, trying to stimulate your own returned need by rubbing your legs together. You would reach down and touch yourself, but you were afraid that, between his instinctual thrusts and his hands in your hair, he would accidentally cause you to choke without the support of your other arm.  
  
You felt his fingers grip your hair a bit tighter and prepared yourself for him to try and press you down further onto his shaft. To your surprise, he did the exact opposite, gently tugging you away. You started to look up at him when his hands left your hair, but were pulled back up even with him as his hands gripped your arms, before he rolled the two of you over, pressing you into the mattress once again.  
  
He was already kissing and nuzzling your neck as he ran his hands down your sides and thighs to hook your legs up around his pelvis once again. You gasped at the sensation of his cock pressing up against your dripping folds, this time without any barriers between.  
  
"I-Is it alright?" Papyrus asked you, his voice so quiet and husky you might not have heard him over your own heavy breaths if he hadn't been right next to your ear. "If you don't want to... If you want me to stop..." He murmured as he continued to rub himself along your entrance, waiting for your answer. "I need you, but..."  
  
"Papyrus..." you murmured, pulling his skull up and kissing him, pouring as much love as you could muster into the act. As you kissed him, you reached down between the two of you and gently gripped his shaft, lining it up with your entrance. Papyrus broke the kiss and looked down at you, a mixture of trepidation and hope on his features. "I need you, too..."  
  
Papyrus groaned at your declaration and kissed you again as he slowly began to push forward. Bit by bit, your fluttering walls began to engulf him, he had to pull away from the kiss as he panted from the feeling. You were so much **tighter** around his cock than you had been his fingers, and he was barely inside. He examined your face for any sign that he was hurting you, but received his answer in the form of your legs pulling his waist closer, sinking him further inside.  
  
You moaned as Papyrus stretched you. That sensation alone would have left you wanting more, but you'd almost forgotten how intense that electric feeling of his magic could be, and now here you were with it pressed inside your most sensitive area.  
  
Papyrus kept still as he got a hold of himself. You were clinging to him like your life depended on it, and a stab of fear that he had hurt you lanced through him. Before he could voice his concern, though, you groaned and thrust your hips up, begging him. "P-Papyrus... **Please...** "  
  
Papyrus was relieved that you wanted to continue, and he briefly contemplated teasing you just as you had teased him, but decided that he was done with those games. For now, at least. Instead, he slowly pulled his hips back until he was almost completely out of you, then thrust back in just as you opened your mouth to express your frustration. Instead, he was rewarded with a loud, guttural moan from you, which he echoed with one of his own.  
  
Papyrus continued to moan as he thrust into you, sliding just a little bit further in each time. You were a writhing mess beneath him, gasping and thrusting as he filled you again and again and again. You began to cling to his shoulders as his arms made their way underneath you, supporting your body and pulling it up to meet his thrusts at a new angle that allowed him to sink in to the hilt each time.  
  
You peppered his skull with breathless kisses as he held you flush against him before he buried his skull in your shoulder and began to murmur. You couldn't make out every word, over the sounds of both your moans and thrusting, but you caught the words 'beautiful' and 'mine' amongst them.  
  
Soon, you vaguely noticed that his murmuring began to repeat itself. Whatever he was saying, he was saying it over and over again into your sweat-soaked skin. You trailed one of your hands up to cradle his skull, apparently snapping him out of his dazed mantra.  
  
He lifted his head and his thrusting slowed. He stared down at you, looking as if he was searching for something, a vulnerable, but hopeful look on his face that drew your attention away from your current state of intimacy. Your voice remained locked in your throat, almost afraid to disturb him in his current state. He brought one of his hands up, cupping your cheek and running his thumb along your features as if to memorize them before he pressed his forehead to your own.  
  
His glowing eyes were locked with your own, and he murmured ever so quietly the same words he had been uttering into your skin, "...I love you..."  
  
Your heart leapt into your throat at the quiet declaration. You already knew he loved you, but that did not dull the impact of hearing him utter those words to you with such undeniable certainty and devotion in his voice. Tears of joy pricked at the corner of your eyes and a happy, breathless laugh bubbled its way out of you as a broad smile lit up your face.  
  
"...I love you, too." You told him, feeling the truth behind it with every fiber of your soul.  
  
You felt elated at the look of utter joy on his face. He then pressed a passionate kiss to your lips, which you gladly returned.  
  
When you finally parted for air, he spoke once again. "Do you trust me?"  
  
You gave him a curious look. "Do you even need to ask? Of course I trust you."  
  
Papyrus smiled down at you. "...And I trust you..." He took your hand in his own and pressed it to his chest. "Just concentrate, and pull." He told you.  
  
Curious, you did as he asked, and were surprised when a shining white inverted heart shape materialized and emerged from his chest. "P-Papyrus, is that...?"  
  
Papyrus smiled softly as he confirmed what you were seeing. "That is my soul." He guided your hand to cup around the brightly glowing heart. "It's alright..." He assured you, feeling your fear of hurting such an important part of him through your almost-touch against his soul.  
  
You cupped your hand around the brilliant heart as gently as you could. It wasn't quite making contact with your skin, but you could feel the warmth emanating from it. So absorbed were you with the shining soul in your hand that you barely noticed when Papyrus pressed his hand to your chest until you felt a slight tugging sensation, and then the room filled with green light.  
  
Papyrus cupped your soul in his hand. You were immediately drawn to the look of awe on his face as he examined it. "So beautiful..." Papyrus spoke quietly. You could feel his reverence and sadness over the condition of your scarred soul as much through his near-contact with it as in the tone of his voice. He brought his gaze back up to you. "Are you ready?"  
  
You weren't sure what was going on, but you could tell it was big and important. Your heart fluttered with anticipation as you nodded your assent. Whatever it was, you trusted Papyrus.  
  
Your eyes widened slightly as he brought your soul closer to where you held his own. Was he going to...?  
  
He was.  
  
He brought your two cupped hands, and thus your souls, together.  
  
The moment your souls touched, you were overwhelmed by the sensations that coursed through you. You felt so raw and exposed. It was more intimate than even your current physical entwinement. Your head swam as you felt a whirlwind of feelings that weren't yours, and your first instinct was to lash out in retaliation.  
  
You recoiled, gathering your magic, but before you could strike, you felt something that brought your actions to a halt. "P-Papyrus..." you breathed out unsteadily. The feelings were intense, nearly overwhelming even, but you RECOGNIZED them. It was that same ghostly sensation that you felt when your magic entwined with his, but without the layers of flesh and bone and magic separating you.  
  
You could feel him. Every part of him. Every feeling. You could feel the softness of your skin against his bones, the heat of your own walls gripping his length, the slight strain in his knees as he continued to kneel on the bed. He was feeling aroused, and amazed, and just as overwhelmed as you were. You could also feel his nervous relief that you hadn't lashed out in your panic.  
  
"You could have WARNED ME before doing that, you know." You chided him, more worried over what you could have done to him, given how much stronger human souls were than monster souls, than over the sudden deluge of sensations.  
  
"NYEH... S-SORRY... I DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD BE THAT INTENSE..." Papyrus apologized.  
  
You huffed slightly, but Papyrus could feel that you weren't actually mad at him. It had just scared you, is all.  
  
You closed your eyes and allowed yourself to tentatively explore the feelings through your connection. You still felt utterly exposed, but knowing it was Papyrus who you were exposed to helped ease your anxiousness over that a bit. You were also growing used to the two sets of feelings and sensations. You could feel Papyrus' curiosity and faith in you. You could feel his anxieties and fears, his pride, his lust... Most intensely of all, you could feel his incredible love for you.  
  
You heard Papyrus gasp slightly as your love for him surged in response. He brought his head down and kissed you, allowing his soul to convey his joy over your shared feelings.  
  
As overwhelming as it was at first, you had to admit that you kind of liked this. It still had a weirdness about it, though. Never would you have ever guessed that you'd find out what it felt like to be a skeleton with his magical dick nestled inside your own body. You intentionally squeezed your walls around him and shuddered at the sensation as it came through Papyrus' soul. Papyrus gasped and ground his hips up into yours, also a little surprised by the pleasure echoing from you.  
  
Your eyes locked and you both knew exactly what was going through each other's minds at that moment. You reaffirmed your grip on Papyrus' hand, keeping your souls firmly pressed together, as Papyrus pulled his length almost completely out of you and then thrust back in.  
  
You both moaned loudly at the incredible sensation. So, he did it again.  
  
Soon, you and Papyrus were writhing against each other with wild abandon. Each of you able to feel not only your own pleasure, but the other's as well. You felt the shudder traveling up his spine every time your walls clenched around him, and he felt your pleasure spike when he hit just the right spot inside you. Every thrust. Every flutter. Every step closer to each of your peaks resounded through both of you until finally that coiled spring snapped and you were both falling headfirst into that abyss of bliss.  
  
*****  
  
You weren't sure when Papyrus had managed to collapse onto the bed beside you, but there he was, trying to get a handle on his breathing just as you were, one hand still clasping your souls together between you, the other holding you close to him.  
  
You felt satiated and tired. That had been, quite frankly, incredible. You felt Papyrus' soul silently throb his agreement to your unspoken observation, and you chuckled.  
  
He brushed a stray strand of hair from your face, and you looked up at him sleepily.  
  
"I love you." He whispered to you quietly, his soul doing its best to let you feel just how deeply his feelings went.  
  
"I love you, too." You whispered back, returning the gesture and leaning up to press a gentle kiss to his teeth.  
  
You smiled at each other warmly, finally allowing your souls to return, before snuggling closer and letting sleep claim you.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You dreamt of Papyrus. He was clad in his battle body attire and giving you his typical goofy smile, tinted with a bit of adoration. He stood there before you, hand out-stretched as he waited for you to join him. You weren't sure where you were going, but it didn't really matter. You walked towards him, reaching to take his hand, but no matter how far or how quickly you moved, he was always just out of reach.  
  
You noticed his soul hovering in front of his chest. Its brilliant white glow a beacon that kept you moving forward. Why couldn't you seem to reach him? You started to become frustrated as your movement reached running speed.  
  
The white glow of Papyrus' soul grew brighter and brighter, shifting from pure white to a dazzling purple. It was nearly blinding, now, and you struggled to see Papyrus through the light. You tried to call out to him, to tell him to wait for you, despite the fact that he remained standing still, but no sound came out.  
  
Your eyes were shut against the blinding purple light, and you struggled to force them open, only succeeding in getting them half-way. Your head was swimming, and it took you a moment to piece together what your senses were telling you.  
  
You were... You were in bed. Papyrus' bed. Cuddled up to him with the both of you naked under the covers. The room was filled with a purple light.  
  
Your eyes drifted around the room. Something was off. You glanced out the window and saw snow. That couldn't be right. It was spring, and the weather was beautiful. You looked at Papyrus' action figure collection and saw them melting like wax candles. A flicker caught your attention and drew your eyes to the computer screen, where symbols were typing themselves out in place of a screensaver.  
  
Wake up, human! Or all your efforts are for naught!  
  
The symbols gave you a headache like you were trying to comprehend an impossible scenario.  
  
This... this wasn't real. You must still be dreaming. But... you could feel Papyrus next to you. You could feel the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he slept... his arm around you... the softness of the covers on your skin...  
  
You tried to move... but you couldn't.  
  
You cried out in confusion... but no sound came out.  
  
You were breathing heavily in fear. Then, a thought occurred to you.  
  
_"Is this... Am I experiencing sleep-paralysis?"_ It... It made sense. The feeling of being awake but unable to move or speak... The weird hallucinations... _"It's... it's alright. Everything's fine. I just need to... I need to relax. There's nothing to be afraid of."_ You told yourself, but the sense of something being off, of something being WRONG, continued to grow.  
  
The purple light shifted erratically, and you felt something starting to vibrate against you. Your eyes darted down and strained to see through the violet light. It was your pendant. The one Papyrus had given you. It was glowing so brightly you couldn't keep your eyes on it for long, and it shivered against your bare skin.  
  
You looked away from it and rapidly blinked away the spots before your eyes. Then, if it were possible for you to be more immobile, you would have frozen.  
  
The walls were crumbling away, revealing a vast emptiness beyond. A feeling of wind began to howl through the room, like you were in the midst of a hurricane that was ripping your pathetic excuse for shelter apart. The deterioration was spreading rapidly, destroying the bookshelf, the desk, and eating at the computer.  
  
Do not let them destroy your memories! You must not forget!  
  
You watched the symbols flicker and melt away with the rest of the computer. You could feel the deterioration closing in from all sides now, the silently howling storm raging all around you. You tried to grip Papyrus closer, to cry out in fear, but you still couldn't move. You still couldn't speak.  
  
As the decay reached the two of you, your eyes locked on to Papyrus. He was still laying there, sleeping soundly. He did not react as his bones began to crumble away.  
  
_"No! NO! PAPYRUS!"_ You cried out in your head, helpless to stop it. You watched in silent horror as he drifted away like dust on the wind, leaving you alone in the vast expanse of stormy nothingness, which even the brilliant light of your pendant could not seem to pierce.  
  
Your skin tingled with pins and needles and your eyes locked onto your hand as flesh began to crumble away from bone. Despite the fact that you felt no pain, you couldn't stop the screams of panic inside your head.  
  
_"NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!"_ You screamed helplessly as your body fluttered to pieces in the all-encompassing storm.  
  
Now, you felt truly helpless. You could not see. You could not hear. You felt it eating away at your mind. Your thoughts.  
  
You wanted desperately to clutch your lover close to you for comfort. Your lover... Who? Your soul went rigid as you tried to remember.  
  
_"N-NO! Anything but that! You can't take him away from me! Not after everything we've been through! I can't... I WON'T ALLOW YOU TO MAKE ME FORGET!"_ Your soul **refused**. Your magic sparked to life and encased you in a shimmering barrier, preventing your fractured memories from being torn away. You desperately pulled them back to you as your shield was battered by the raging maelstrom outside.  
  
You could do nothing but hold on as your barrier was tossed about, praying desperately for your nightmare to finally end.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Flowey pushed his way up through the nothingness. He glanced around at the hurricane raging all around him from his position within the eye of the storm. He turned his head and immediately spotted who he was looking for.  
  
"Howdy!" He greeted cheerfully, his face quickly switching to a sly sneer. "Gee. You really know how to rain on everyone's parade, don't you?"  
  
He cocked his head to the side. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, though. Things were going a little too well, after all, and we both know there's no such thing as 'happily ever after'." He winked, before his smile became smug and mocking. "Only an **idiot** would believe in that!"  
  
"Sure, things were interesting there for a while... There was drama... intrigue..." his face warped predatorily, " **bloodshed...** " his face returned to normal.  
  
"Of course, then things started getting all MUSHY... I mean, even that oblivious dope, Papyrus, fell in love." he scoffed. "I'm surprised you didn't do something about it, sooner."  
  
Flowey's affable face fell, looking almost sad. "Hah... Even mom and dad were starting to act like their old selves again..."  
  
He snapped quickly to attention. "Not that I **care** , mind you." his smile grew strained. "I **can't** care, even if I wanted to."  
  
He sat there, quiet and contemplative for a few long moments. "I... I had a lot of fun, actually. How many years has it been since I got to experience something new? How many years did I spend Resetting over and over again, trying to provoke some new reaction?"  
  
Flowey shook his head. "Not that it matters! It's not like I'm going to try to stop you."  
  
A rueful grin spread across his face. "Just do me one favor? Erase my memories, too? I don't... I don't want to remember what it was like to live on the surface. I don't want to continue on knowing what could have been."  
  
His expression was pleading, now. "Please... I don't want to resent you. After all... you're my best friend, Chara."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .....
> 
> What?
> 
> That's not...
> 
> That's not suppose to happen...
> 
> Papyrus and Reader make love, bringing their souls together as an ultimate symbol of their love and trust of each other, then there's suppose to be a time skip where Reader and Asgore finally make up and rekindle their old friendship, and tentative hinting that Papyrus and Reader plan to get married! I mean, they've both worked so hard to reach this point! They've been through so much and deserve to be happy! It's not suppose to end like THIS! I mean, what the HELL?!
> 
> How did this- wait... What are YOU doing here? 
> 
>  
> 
> You didn't think I was done playing with you yet, did you? I've only just begun...
> 
>  
> 
> You don't belong here! This is MY fic! 
> 
>  
> 
> Hah. Since when were you the one in control?
> 
>  
> 
> H-Hey, now... There's no need to-
> 
>  
> 
> #    
>  *SLASH*  
> 
> 
> ####    
>  99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999  
> 


	52. Eye of the Storm

Darkness, pain, and _fear_. These were the most prevalent things in your mind. You looked around you, confused and afraid. Where were you?  
  
"H-hello?" you called out into the darkness, your voice quiet and raspy. But nobody came.  
  
Something about this seemed... familiar...  
  
You looked around, your hazy mind desperately taking in every detail it could, trying to remember how you got here. You were somewhere very dark. A prison cell it seems?  
  
_"Wait... I remember this..."_  
  
You could make out the details of bars contrasting the small amount of flickering light cast on the wall from somewhere down the hallway. You shifted slightly and were unsurprised by the pain you felt. Your arms and legs were bound tightly, to the point where your wrists and ankles were so raw that the little movement you were capable of caused pain to shoot up your limbs. The place also reeked of shit and blood.  
  
You grimaced. _"It's that dream again... no... that memory. I'm remembering when Moira swore her fealty to the King in his fight against monsters."_  
  
Your thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a door slamming open nearby, followed by approaching footsteps. You were soon confronted by an intimidating man wearing heavy-looking armor. The King's General. He was flanked by several lower-ranking knights, one of whom was carrying a torch.  
  
"The time for you to consider the King's _incredibly generous_ offer is up. So, what will it be, heathen? Will you comply willingly, or should I tell the headsman to prepare to send you back to Hell where you belong?" the General asked impatiently.  
  
You wanted to tell him exactly where he could stick that deal. You were a much stronger person now than you had been back then. But you knew that you couldn't. These events had already passed, long, long ago.  
  
You felt dizzy and the earth seemed to shift beneath you, a screeching sound growing louder and louder inside your throbbing skull. You began to thrash...  
  
... And jerked awake as your body hit the floor. You were covered in sweat and tangled up in your sheets. Your alarm continued to screech angrily on the other side of the room, and, not for the first time, you cursed putting it so far away. You flailed sleepily about while trying to untangle yourself, settling for dragging the sheets halfway across your room so that you could turn off your obnoxiously loud alarm.  
  
With the alarm off, you leaned against the wall sleepily for a few moments, relishing the silence until your mind suddenly caught up to you, and your eyes widened.  
  
You pulled your head away from the wall and glanced around the room. Your room. Not your room at the skeleton brother's house. Not even your room at your apartment in Ebott City. This was your room in your OLD apartment. The apartment you had before you got your job at MEET Co.  
  
_"Why am I back here?! I... I fell asleep in Papyrus' room... After we..."_ You blushed even thinking about it.  
  
You looked at your wall calendar and saw your work schedule written on it. The schedule you'd followed for your retail job. You looked at the year and gasped. _"Impossible! That... That's from three years ago!"_  
  
You began to doubt. _"Maybe... Maybe it was all just a dream?"_ Your heart ached at the thought. The idea that everything you had experienced, all the heartbreak and joy, your friends and loved ones, were just figments of your sleepy imagination.  
  
_"No... I... I refuse to believe that."_ You steeled yourself against your doubts. You lifted a hand and focused. Just as you had practiced, a ball of magic formed above your palm. There was your proof. _"I wasn't dreaming. But then... why am I here?"_  
  
You paced quickly through your apartment, earning an annoyed meow from Cleo as you woke her from her nap on the couch. Everything seemed to be in its proper place, though it was a little hard to tell given that it had been three years. Your stuff was stored where it should be, your uniform for your retail job set out on the computer chair in your room like it usually was, the dishes from last night's dinner were in the sink waiting for you to stop being lazy and actually wash them...  
  
You had briefly hoped that this was some sort of elaborate prank by Sans and Undyne, even if you ignored the fact they would have had to pry your sleeping, still naked, body from Papyrus' bed, there's no way they could have known what your old apartment looked like.  
  
You returned to your room and powered on your computer. As you waited for it to boot up, you couldn't help your nervous pacing. You could not sit still. Nothing made sense, and it was freaking you out. You suddenly realized how erratic your breathing had become while stalking through your apartment and paused to take a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm down.  
  
_"It's alright. It's okay. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for this."_ you told yourself as you fidgeted.  
  
Once your computer was finally finished loading, you began to browse the internet. On a hunch, you searched for today's news and found articles from three years ago, when you had been living in this apartment. Despite your attempts, you could not find any hint that the past three years had actually happened. Hell, there wasn't even any mention of monsters from Mt. Ebott.  
  
You cradled your head in your hands and wracked your brain for some explanation, but beside the fact that you had apparently gone back in time, nothing seemed to be forthcoming.  
  
"Mreow!" Cleo meowed at you. You glanced down at her and saw her glaring at you.  
  
You glanced at the clock and realized it was past the time you normally fed her in the morning, and, according to your calendar, you apparently were suppose to be at work in 15 minutes. Did you really want to go to your retail job? Of course not. Even if you weren't in the middle of some time-warped existential crisis, you wouldn't have wanted to return to that. If you were in the past, however, with no job at the currently non-existent MEET Co, then you should probably make at least SOME effort to not lose your current job, though...  
  
Cleo meowed at you again, reminding you that she had still not been fed. You grabbed up your cell phone and pulled up the number for work as you walked into the kitchen, Cleo on your heels.  
  
"Hello? Yeah. It's _____. I'm not going to make it in today. Something's come up. ... No, I don't know the full details of it myself. ... It's a private matter, but I'll let you know what I can when I get more details. ... Thanks." You spoke with one of the managers as you dumped a random portion of dry cat food into Cleo's bowl. She looked mildly offended at the lack of wet food, but quickly decided it was better than the bowl being empty and began to chow down.  
  
Although your own stomach was twisting itself in knots, you still felt the need to do something to boost your own energy. You were starting to feel a bit hazy from all your pacing and nervous energy. You were, however, in no mood to cook a proper breakfast. You began scrounging through your cabinets, but couldn't find the cereal. Eventually you spotted the empty box in with the cardboard recyclables next to the trash.  
  
_"Crap. There goes that idea."_ You pulled open the fridge and began scrounging for leftovers, grabbing the first container you spotted and popping it open.  
  
Your heart twisted sharply.  
  
Inside was some leftover spaghetti.  
  
_"Papyrus..."_ You stared mournfully at the spaghetti as your mind was plagued with thoughts of your friends and loved ones. Where were they all? Were they back underground? Were they wandering around, just as confused as you were?  
  
Freedom Day, the holiday marking when monsters first emerged from Mt. Ebott, was in a few days. Did that mean they were trapped back behind the barrier again? The cruelty of such a thing after they'd finally made a place for themselves on the surface had you reeling with guilt. After all, there'd be no barrier in the first place if it wasn't for you.  
  
You took a few deep breaths to calm yourself down. _"Worrying about it right now isn't going to help anything. I need to figure out what's going on, and move on from there. And if I'm going to do that, I'm going to need some energy."_ You glanced quickly around the fridge to see what your options were before your eyes returned to the leftover spaghetti in your hands. _"Breakfast spaghetti it is, then..."_  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You had finished your breakfast and added the container to the pile waiting to be washed in the sink. You had then started to exit the kitchen before glancing back at the pile. _"Papyrus would be upset if I just left the dishes in the sink like that..."_ Then your mind reminded you that Papyrus wasn't here. You winced at the reminder, then walked back over to the sink and quickly washed the dishes.  
  
With that out of the way, you returned to your bedroom and sat back down at your computer.  
  
After a few hours of failed attempts at finding an answer, you weren't sure what to do. You still had no idea why you were here now, or if anyone else remembered the events that had yet to happen.  
  
Talking to anyone about it seemed... foolish. Who would believe you that you had traveled back in time somehow? You could use your magic as proof that some of what you claimed was true, and surely you predicting the emergence of monsters in a few days would add to your credibility, but you were wary of how people would take it. You had no desire to repeat the harassment you had experienced, especially without your friends around to support you.  
  
Your best option, you decided, was to talk to Alphys when monsters emerged from Mt. Ebott. Maybe she and the other monsters would remember? And if they didn't, they were more likely to be open to the idea and help you than humans were.  
  
Your mind drifted to the subject you had steadfastly avoided since you began trying to figure out what happened. Would Papyrus remember you? There was no indication online of anyone panicking over time repeating itself. You had called your family, and told them what you experienced, claiming it was a dream. None of them had questioned if it had actually been real.  
  
So, why did you remember? Was it because you possessed magic? If that was the case, maybe all the monsters would remember.  
  
Or maybe...  
  
You thought of your waking nightmare. Of how reality itself had corroded and fallen apart. You remembered protecting your soul within your barrier after your body had crumbled away. After you felt it trying to rip apart your memories... Was that... Was THAT why you remembered? Had whatever had done this tried to take your memories, but failed because of your magic? If that was the case, than that would mean you might be the only one to remember... Papyrus might not...  
  
You took deep, shuddering breaths as you tried to calm yourself. _"There's no point in worrying about that now. He... He might remember me. I just have to hold on to that hope."_ You weren't sure what you would do if he didn't know who you were...  
  
"Mrow?" Cleo rubbed up against your legs, trying to comfort you. You gave her a shaky smile and patted her.  
  
Once you had calmed down, you stood and headed over to your closet. You pulled out some luggage and began packing everything you'd need for a camping trip.  
  
You didn't know why you were back here at this time. You weren't sure anyone else would remember like you did, either. But you couldn't just sit around and do nothing. Monsters would be emerging from Mt. Ebott in just a few days time, and you planned on being there.  
  
Hopefully, they'd be able to help you find some answers.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Preparing for your trip to Mt. Ebott took longer than you thought it would. You had forgotten that you DESPERATELY needed to do laundry, so you had needed to wait for that. You had to go to the store for food supplies, which had taken a while, especially since you forgot to make a list beforehand and mostly spent your time wandering about trying to figure out what you would need and what you could do without.  
  
You made arrangements to have your sister stop by your apartment to feed Cleo and make sure she got some attention while you were gone. You also managed to borrow a tent from her when you stopped by to drop off your extra set of keys. She had been confused about your sudden need for it, but you told her you'd been invited on a camping trip.  
  
Work had required a bit more... stretching of the truth. You called and told them you had a family emergency and would be out for a while. Papyrus was practically family, after all, and you would definitely count being plunged back in time three years as a type of emergency. Right? Your boss hadn't been terribly happy with you, especially when you refused to tell him the nature of the emergency, but he had begrudgingly accepted your excuse and wished you and your family the best.  
  
Once you had everything packed, you looked up directions to Mt. Ebott itself and come to the realization that there were no roads UP the mountain. Only a few trails, which probably didn't even go where you needed to go, given that no one had returned to tell people about the barrier.  
  
Using a combination of knowledge about the emergence of monsters, hazy memories from when Moira had been there, and the godsend that was Google Earth, you finally managed to pinpoint the cave opening where monsters would be emerging. You were fairly certain, anyway. Kind of.  
  
Anyway, it really was pretty far from any of the trails, and that meant you'd have to hike. That brought a new host of problems. For one, you had to lighten your load considerably. You never realized just how fit you were after training with Undyne and Papyrus for so long until you were suddenly back in the shape you were three years ago. You were forced to rip through your supplies and ditch anything that wasn't ABSOLUTELY necessary. Extra changes of clothes were ditched, leaving you with what you had on, and a clean outfit you'd change into shortly before their emergence, so you weren't TOO dirty. Things you'd packed to entertain yourself while waiting were ditched. The pillow and blankets you had planned on using in the tent were out, though you packed an extra sweatshirt in case it got too cold.  
  
In the end, you managed to condense most of your supplies down to a single hefty backpack of food, a change of clothes, some basic medical supplies, and the tent. It still felt kind of heavy to your flabby body, but you'd manage.  
  
Two days. Two days spent preparing for this trip. You would get some sleep and then head out in the morning. Hopefully you'd be able to get to the cave before sunset. After that, you'd just have to wait until the next day. Freedom Day. The day monsters emerged from Mt. Ebott. The day they'd obtained their long anticipated freedom.  
  
Hopefully, that day would bring you answers.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The drive to Mt. Ebott had been fairly uneventful. You reached Ebott City without much fuss, and had been slightly dumbfounded at just how QUAINT it was in comparison to after it gained its monster population. It was kind of amazing to think just how much the addition of monsters had changed, or would change, the place.  
  
After passing through Ebott City, you had driven as far as you could towards Mt. Ebott. The roads grew more sparse, and pavement gave way to dirt. Eventually, you pulled up near one of the trails leading up the mountain.  
  
It was as you were hoisting your backpack on that you were approached.  
  
"Going for a hike?"  
  
You whipped around and spotted a woman leaning against a mailbox, smoking a cigarette. You glanced past her and realized that, behind her, nearly hidden by the trees, was a house.  
  
"Something like that." You hedged.  
  
"You might want to reconsider." she warned you. "People say that mountain is cursed."  
  
You huffed. "So I've heard."  
  
The woman gave a curt laugh at your response. "Yeah, well, curse or no curse, it's still dangerous. The trails, if you can even call them that, aren't marked at all and it's easy to lose your way. The slopes are pretty treacherous, too. Easy to slip and break something, that is, if you're lucky and don't fall off a cliff to your death. A lot of people have gone missing upon those slopes over the years."  
  
You were about to dismiss the woman's concerns when her next words caught your attention.  
  
"Hell, the search party that went up there looking for that kid a few days ago had to call it quits after a rock slide nearly killed some of them."  
  
"Kid??" You asked.  
  
"Yeah. Some kid who lives a few miles from here apparently disappeared up the mountain after running away from home. Don't know if it's true, but I hear that family's a real piece of work. Been some investigations into them after their kid just stopped talking one day, but they couldn't make a case for abuse." She told you, taking another puff of her cigarette. "You want my opinion? Ain't nothing good going on in that household. No one goes up that mountain on a whim. Not unless they have a death wish."  
  
"Frisk..." you murmured to yourself sadly. You had never questioned where they had come from or how they ended up inside Mt. Ebott. It just... it just never occurred to you. I mean, they were happy living with their mom... adopted mom, you reminded yourself. You looked back at the woman. "What about their parents? Surely they're worried."  
  
The woman shrugged. "They didn't put up a bit of fuss when the search was called off, from what I heard."  
  
A stab of anger lanced through you. How could they not be beside themselves with worry?! Frisk was an amazing kid! You stood there seething for a few moments, ignoring the woman's cocked eyebrow as she continued to smoke.  
  
Once you had calmed down again, you nodded at the woman. "Thanks for your concern. I'll be alright, though."  
  
She shrugged. "Your funeral." Then she turned and headed back to her house.  
  
You turned back around and looked up at Mt. Ebott, towering above you. Somewhere up there was the entrance to the underground. The caverns where you had helped imprison monsters so long ago. There, you would find the people you had come to love. Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, Toriel, Asgore, Sans... Frisk. They were in there somewhere, waiting for the day they would finally be free.  
  
Hopefully, they'd help you understand why this was happening again.  
  
The sight of Mt. Ebott bathed in the noontime sun filled you with Determination.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
_"This is it... The End... I'm dying..."_ you wheezed dramatically as you leaned against a boulder.  
  
It had been hours since you'd wandered off the meager trails, and your unfit body was greatly protesting your exertion. That woman hadn't been kidding about the terrain being treacherous. You'd already nearly fallen off a cliff when the gravel you'd been walking on slid under your weight. After that experience, you'd exercised a hell of a lot more caution.  
  
You were also having trouble finding the cave. _"Who would have thought that hundreds of years of erosion and undisturbed growth could change the landscape so much?"_ you mocked yourself sarcastically. I mean, really? What had you expected?  
  
The longer you walked, the more you thought this was a bad idea. You could have just waited until they came down the mountain to talk to them, but noooo! You just HAD to meet them at the cave entrance.  
  
_"Thank god Sans taught me how to control my Blink ability. If not, I'd be pretty freaked out by how lost I am."_ you sighed. If worse came to worse, you could Blink back to your car. You just hoped it wouldn't come to that.  
  
Once you'd caught your breath, you took in your surroundings. If your planning had been right, you SHOULD be somewhere in the general vicinity of the cave, now. You sighed as you resisted the urge to check the GPS on your phone. You had been out of service range since before you reached the slopes of Mt. Ebott.  
  
Of course, even if you were in the right area, finding the exact spot would be like finding a needle in a haystack.  
  
"There's got to be a better way..." you muttered to yourself. Then an idea struck. "Wait! Maybe if I..." you closed your eyes and focused. You had learned to detect nearby magic while training with Undyne. It had been a necessity given that she had no qualms with attacking from all sides, including behind. Learning to sense the aura the magic gave off and which direction it was coming from allowed you to fight her without having to whip your head around constantly, making yourself dizzy in the process.  
  
....  
  
...There. It was hard to sense, but it was definitely there. The feeling of magic. It must be the barrier.  
  
You looked up in the direction you sensed it coming from and smiled. Soon. You would be there, soon.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The sun was setting, and you still hadn't located the barrier.  
  
You spent hours following the aura of magic, and it had grown stronger and stronger. You didn't even need to try and sense it now, it was so strong.  
  
_"It'll be dark soon and I still need to set up camp, but... but I'm so close! I can feel it!"_ You warred with yourself.  
  
You wanted so badly to locate the barrier before setting up camp, but you were out of time. You couldn't risk stumbling around in the dark. Not in this terrain.  
  
You sighed in defeat. _"I guess I'll just have to find it tomorrow morning."_  
  
You began looking around for a secure enough spot to pitch your tent. A part of you was absolutely ecstatic that you were stopping for the day. That part was the thoroughly exhausted part. You were sweaty and gross, tired, and your muscles ached. You grimaced as you set up your tent on a relatively flat, grassy spot. You would undoubtedly be feeling your exertions tomorrow.  
  
You crawled inside your tent and quickly fell into a weary slumber.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The start to your day was later than you wanted, but it couldn't be helped. Instead of packing up your tent and continuing your search by mid-morning after having some breakfast, you had spent your first waking hours in agony.  
  
_"I'm not sure if Undyne would be proud of how far I pushed myself, or disappointed with how much my muscles are protesting. Maybe both."_ You winced as you massaged your aching muscles.  
  
You tried using that magical relaxation trick Papyrus had shown you, but it was hard to perform it on yourself. Well, that and you'd much prefer it if it was him doing this. You missed him. You missed how he'd gently knead your aching muscles after Undyne pounded you into the dirt. How he'd smile as you peppered whatever bones you could reach with kisses to show your appreciation. You missed the way his fingers would continue to trail along your skin, long after the pain was gone, just tracing listless patterns until you dozed off in his embrace.  
  
Your heart clenched as you longed to see him again. "Papyrus..." you murmured out loud as you stared listlessly at the roof of your tent, lost in your thoughts.  
  
Eventually, you managed to pull yourself together enough to get ready for the day. You ate, packed up your supplies and tent, then began the slow slog towards the source of the magic you were sensing.  
  
It was just after noon when you came upon a steep cliff face. You looked up and felt the strongest point of the magic above you. The top of the cliff was 15, maybe 20 feet up. Thankfully, it seemed to slope down to the side. You followed along the cliff edge until it merged with the ground you were walking on, then followed the natural path up.  
  
At the top, there was a moderate plateau. It was pretty barren, mostly consisting of rock. You looked out over the cliff and gasped at the view. The position of the cliff and steepness of the slope beneath it kept it above the tree line, allowing for an incredible view of the countryside below. In the distance, you could see another mountain, the ocean, and Ebott City itself. You stood for several long moments just absorbing the sight before you.  
  
Eventually, you turned and continued observing the area. It was... familiar. Your eyes landed on a grassy incline to the south that would have a perfect view of the plateau. The smattering of trees on it offering cover, as well.  
  
_"That's it. That's where we stood when we sealed away monsters within Mt. Ebott. That means the cave entrance..."_ You turned and began to eagerly explore the plateau. This was it. It had to be.  
  
You were not disappointed.  
  
There before you was the cave. And within the entrance to that cave glowed the barrier.  
  
You were overwhelmed with emotion as you saw it for the first time in hundreds of years. The barrier was your single most powerful spell. It had taken seven mages to create something of this magnitude. In a way, you were proud to have created something so immense and powerful. However, you were also struck with shame and grief over why it existed.  
  
_"None of that will matter, soon. Before the end of today, the barrier will be destroyed, and monsters will be free once more. All there is left to do is wait."_  
  
\------------------------------  
  
And wait you did. Minutes crept by like hours, and you were torn between wanting to distract yourself to help pass the time, and wanting to remain focused on the barrier to witness the moment of its destruction. When monsters finally emerged from Mt. Ebott, you would be here to welcome them. You just had to be patient.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
It was starting to grow dark again, and you set up your tent.  
  
It wouldn't be long now.  
  
It couldn't be long now.  
  
You continued to wait.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The stars overhead were beautiful, but you hardly noticed.  
  
You were worried.  
  
The barrier still stood, firm and absolute.  
  
Monsters had yet to emerge from Mt. Ebott.  
  
_"Did I get the date wrong?"_ you questioned. It was possible, you supposed. You couldn't help the pit of anxiety in your stomach, though. _"It must be tomorrow. Tomorrow will be the day."_  
  
You curled up in your tent and tried to sleep.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You paced the plateau. The sun was setting again, and there was still no sign of the barrier breaking. Tomorrow was Saturday. You remembered that it was a Saturday that you had first learned about the existence of monsters, as it was the end of your work week. Talk of monsters had been all over the news that morning, and they had already had enough time to make contact and set up a news conference.  
  
Something felt wrong.  
  
You stared up at the barrier... the one way entrance to the underground... and you hesitated.  
  
_"I... I shouldn't be so hasty. Maybe they emerged that morning?"_ That didn't feel right to you, but it was all you had to go on. _"Tomorrow... we'll see what happens tomorrow..."_  
  
You crawled into your tent and slept fitfully, plagued by worries and doubts.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
There was no denying it now. Something was wrong.  
  
The noonday sun hung high above you as you finished off the last of your food and water. You hadn't planned on being out here so long.  
  
_"The barrier should have been broken days ago..."_ you stared at the steadily pulsing white light of the barrier.  
  
Something, somewhere, had changed. _"Did me coming out here trigger some sort of butterfly effect and prevent monsters from escaping their prison? No... That can't be. How would that even happen?"_ You couldn't think of any reason your presence outside the barrier would have affected the outcome of Frisk's journey through the underground.  
  
_"Something else must have changed. But what?"_ There was no way for you to know. Not from out here, anyway.  
  
The thought was not new to you. The past several days, thoughts of entering the barrier to find out what was going on had plagued your mind. Each time the idea dominated your thoughts, you would hedge away from it.  
  
_"It's a foolish idea. Reckless,"_ you reasoned.  
  
_"And wandering up a dangerous mountain alone with no hiking experience and no one knowing where you are isn't?"_ Your mind countered.  
  
_"Entering the barrier is different. I can always leave the mountain, but if I enter that barrier, there's no going back. It's a one-way trip."_ you argued.  
  
_"Not if you find out why the barrier hasn't been broken and fix it. Then you, and all of monsterkind, will be free, as it should be."_ Your mind pointed out.  
  
_"That's a big risk to take! I have no way of knowing if I even CAN fix what's wrong. I could very well be trapped down there for the rest of my life!"_ You worried.  
  
_"Would that be so bad? It's not like you'd be alone. Your friends are down there. PAPYRUS is down there. Wouldn't you rather live out the rest of your life underground with them, knowing that you tried, than on the surface knowing you'd abandoned them once again?"_ Your mind questioned.  
  
_"..."_ You clenched your hand into a fist over your heart as the idea of never seeing your friends again, of never seeing Papyrus, ate away at your soul. No. You couldn't do that. You wouldn't abandon them. Not again. You were better than that, now.  
  
You looked at your surroundings. The plateau... the trees... the ocean... the sky... the sun... You took the time to commit the scene to memory, knowing this may very well be the last time you ever see it. That you might become another one of those people lost to the mountain.  
  
You turned to the cave entrance and took a deep breath.  
  
This was it.  
  
The point of no return.  
  
You walked forward and, with a quivering breath, you entered the barrier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will this be a one-way trip for our dear Reader?
> 
> Time will tell.


	53. The Maelstrom

Magic tingled along your skin as you passed through the barrier. White light glowed around you as you pressed your way through. The barrier offered no resistance. In mere moments, you were on the other side. You turned and reached out to the barrier, your fingers brushing against its translucent, but solidly unrelenting surface. There was no backing out now.  
  
You turned back and looked at the old archway before you. Monsters must have carved it out of the stone after their imprisonment. You wondered what the rest of the underground was like.  
  
Cautiously, you stepped forward, peering through the doorway. On the other side was a long hallway leading deeper into the mountain. You began to walk along it, listening to the quiet around you, only disturbed by the sound of your own footsteps.  
  
Eventually, the end of the hallway came into view, and you spotted another open doorway in one of the walls. As you got closer, you realized you could hear voices coming from up ahead. You made your way forward as quietly as possible until you were able to make out the words being spoken.  
  
"...don't understand! If you don't do it, you won't stand a chance against them!"  
  
"Now, now. You mustn't be so rash. I'm sure we can find some other solution. You said they are a child. I'm sure they're just frightened."  
  
You knew those voices. You peaked your head around the doorway and confirmed what you already knew. The room beyond was large and brightly lit. Within it, you could see a large throne surrounded by an impressive garden of golden flowers. On the other side of the throne, you spotted Asgore kneeling and looking down. You almost missed him amongst all the flowers, but there before Asgore was Flowey sprouting up from the ground. Asgore seemed to be trying to soothe Flowey, who was quite agitated.  
  
"A child that's KILLING EVERYONE THEY FIND!" Flowey snapped at him.  
  
_"K-killing?"_ you were startled by the declaration.  
  
The look of trepidation on Asgore's face was enough to convince you that this wasn't one of Flowey's bitter jokes.  
  
Should you reveal yourself to them? Hang back and listen to try and get a better idea of what was going on? You stepped back from the doorway to think over your options.  
  
Fortunately or not, the decision was made for you as your foot hit a pebble, the sound of it skittering across the rock floor piercing the quiet.  
  
Two heads snapped up in your direction and spotted you, both looking surprised by the unexpected intrusion.  
  
"Who...?" Asgore's eyes widened. "You are human."  
  
Flowey eyed you with confusion and suspicion. "This is new..."  
  
Neither of them seemed like they recognized you. With no point in trying to keep yourself hidden, you stepped forward into the room. "Hi..." you said lamely, not entirely sure what to say. "I'm _____."  
  
Asgore stood and looked you over, seeming to be conflicted. "I am King Asgore Dreemurr, ruler of the monsters of the underground." he introduced himself. He glanced away guiltily. "I would offer you a cup of tea, but I am afraid circumstances prevent that."  
  
You considered what Flowey had just said. "I... I overheard you talking. You said there was a child going around killing people?"  
  
"I am sure it must be an exaggeration. They are likely simply frightened." Asgore told you, though the uncertainty was clear in his voice.  
  
Flowey scoffed. "It's not an exaggeration. They've been traveling across the underground killing everyone too stupid to flee. They've been actively HUNTING any stragglers." Flowey gave a bitterly amused smile. "It's no accident."  
  
A creeping sense of dread made its way up through your mind. A part of you didn't want to know, but you knew you had to ask. "This kid... Do they have short brown hair, and are they wearing a purple striped shirt?"  
  
Flowey's head snapped back to you in shock, an angry, suspicious look taking over his features. "How did you...?"  
  
That was all the confirmation you needed. Your heart sunk in your chest at the realization that Frisk was the one killing monsters. That instead of traveling peacefully through the underground, befriending its denizens, they were murdering them.  
  
"Do you know the child?" Asgore asked you.  
  
"Yes. Well... it's a bit complicated." you admitted, then looked Asgore in the eye. "But I can tell you that the Frisk I know would never harm a soul. I... I don't know what could push them to do something like this..."  
  
Asgore gave you a sympathetic look. "Perhaps if you spoke with them, it would help?"  
  
Flowey let out a short, bitter laugh. "I doubt it!" Flowey gave you a dangerous smile. "Look, human, I don't know where you came from, but you clearly have NO idea what you're dealing with, here. If you try to 'talk' to them, the only thing you're going to get is a knife in the chest, just like the old lady in the ruins."  
  
The old lady in the ruins... your mind whirred as you remembered the stories of Frisk's journey, and Sans reminiscing about the jokes he'd exchange with Toriel through the door to the ruins. "They... They killed Toriel??" you blurted out in shock.  
  
Asgore and Flowey were equally shocked.  
  
"Tori? You... you know of my wife?!" Asgore exclaimed, his mind running rampant at the first news of his missing wife in centuries, and the fact that it came from some strange human.  
  
Flowey's face turned absolutely frightening. **"How do you know about her?!"**  
  
If Frisk had killed their own mother, than... "What about the others?" You asked anxiously. "What about Papyrus??"  
  
Asgore was still flabbergasted, but Flowey was scrutinizing you now with a dawning comprehension. "Papyrus didn't even put up a fight. He just stood there, quaking in his boots with his arms out like he expected the kid to break down and HUG him." Flowey smirked darkly. "Instead, what he got was his head separated from his body before he turned to dust." To emphasize the point, Flowey drew one of his leaves across his stem in a slicing motion.  
  
You felt sick. Your whole body was trembling at the news. Papyrus was... Papyrus was **dead**... He was... He was **killed** by **Frisk**... Papyrus **loved** Frisk. He... "No... No... You're wrong... You're **lying**..." You couldn't... you **wouldn't** believe that.  
  
Asgore continued to watch, confused consternation on his face as Flowey spoke up again, a predatory look on his face. "But I'm not. He was so easy for them to kill... he just stood there and let it happen... pretty much just free EXP... Unlike Undyne." Flowey taunted you.  
  
"U-Undyne?" you asked, afraid of the answer.  
  
"That's right. Undyne fended off death itself to keep fighting. Of course, she never was a match for that kid. Not with their abilities. In the end, her own Determination to keep on fighting is what destroyed her. It became so toxic that her body itself melted into a nasty pile of goo." Flowey said mockingly.  
  
You stared at Flowey, wide-eyed and in shock. You didn't want to believe his words. You couldn't. Papyrus and Undyne were both so strong. There's no way Frisk could have killed them, even if they tried.  
  
"You want me to tell you about anyone else's deaths? That flashy idiot, Mettaton, maybe? Muffet? Or perhaps you've got a soft spot for one of those forgettable side-characters?" Flowey continued.  
  
"No... You're LYING!" You snapped at Flowey. You didn't know why he would make up such horrible lies, but that's what he had to be doing.  
  
Asgore watched, increasingly perturbed, as the scene unfolded before him. He did not understand how you could possibly know the monsters of the underground, and he was disturbed over the way the little flower monster seemed to relish taunting you about their deaths.  
  
"Still don't believe me? Then why don't you go see for yourself?" Flowey gestured towards the doorway at the front of the room. "'Course, you've got a LONG walk ahead of you, assuming you don't get killed by the kid when you run into them." Flowey smirked.  
  
You stared out the open doorway that lead further into the underground. You couldn't bring yourself to believe that your friends were dead. That **Papyrus** was dead. And that Frisk had been the one to kill them. You refused. You closed your eyes and began to focus. You searched for any trace of Papyrus' magical energy. You didn't care how far or how small it was. You didn't care how risky it was to use your powers to go someplace you'd never seen.  
  
Flowey watched you curiously as you closed your eyes, wondering just what you thought you were doing. After a few long moments, your eyes snapped open. He could see the look of determination on your face. Before he could mock you for it, though, there was a resounding crack, and you were gone.  
  
"W-Where? How?!" Asgore exclaimed after you'd disappeared before their very eyes.  
  
Flowey was staring, wide-eyed, at where you had been. You teleported. You FREAKING TELEPORTED. Just like that smiley trashbag! He narrowed his eyes in thought. He had already figured out that magic was at-play here. After all, there's no way you should have known who Toriel, Papyrus, or Undyne were. But he didn't realize that you possessed magic of your own. It certainly raised a lot of questions. He just hoped that he'd have the chance to get a few answers before the kid arrived.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You shivered as you emerged from the void into the bitter cold. Your sweatshirt wasn't nearly enough to protect you from the ice and snow.  
  
That was the least of your worries right now, though. You looked around, focusing on the feeling of Papyrus' magical energy. Your eyes glanced past the icy river before catching sight of something red through the fog. _"Papyrus..."_  
  
You ran towards it. Within moments, you had reached your destination, and you skidded to a stop. There before you stood some branches, hastily severed from their trees and erected into some sort of stand in the middle of the road. Draped across the lashed-together sticks was something you'd recognize anywhere. It was Papyrus' battle-body armor. It hung awkwardly on the branches as his scarf fluttered lightly in the wind.  
  
At the base of the branches, something was peeking out of the snow. You knelt down shakily and pulled out a plastic figurine. There were more buried in the snow. You brushed some of it away and then realized... The 'snow' wasn't melting away.  
  
This wasn't snow.  
  
This was dust.  
  
**His** dust.  
  
You were trembling violently now as you focused on the particles. You could feel the weak aura of his magic coming from them. You couldn't deny it anymore. He really was dead.  
  
Hot tears rolled down your face, landing in his remains.  
  
He was gone.  
  
**Gone.**  
  
You couldn't hold back the floodgates as you completely broke down. Your wracking sobs echoed throughout the silence as you hunched over, your soul wrenching painfully in your chest.  
  
**Dead.**  
  
Papyrus was **dead.**  
  
Your body shook and ached with the force of your grief.  
  
Everything you had fought **so hard for** was for naught. All your struggles to find forgiveness for your sins... to forgive **yourself**... Helping monsters gain acceptance, just as they accepted you... Finding love in a goofy skeleton with an unwavering heart of gold... All of that had been **erased** in a single night. Now, here you were with your heart, your soul, your **salvation** nothing but a pile of dust at your feet.  
  
After you'd cried yourself to the point of exhaustion, you collapsed onto your side on the ground, staring listlessly at the make-shift grave as your body grew tired and cold. What was the point of going on?  
  
What was the point of **living?**  
  
You felt like your soul was going to shatter at any moment...  
  
You weren't sure how long you laid there in the snow, grieving. A sharp breeze blew through, cutting deeply into your frigid body, but you didn't care. Moments later, your vision was obscured by red.  
  
You reached up and pulled the cloth away from your eyes. Papyrus' scarf had fluttered free of its perch. The white speckles you'd initially chalked up to being snow or glitter was easily recognizable from this distance as dust. You clutched the cloth close to yourself as new tears sprung to your eyes. _"Papyrus..."_ You closed your eyes as the tears streamed silently down your face, sniffling against the soft fabric. You inhaled deeply. You could still smell the scent of him on it.  
  
You thought of his smiling face as he'd proudly boast about one thing or another while posing dramatically in his battle-body armor. You thought of all the times he'd been there for you as you struggled. How he never gave up on you. Whenever things took a turn for the worse, he was there with open arms ready to soothe and encourage you... To tell you how strong and great he knew you were, and how he knew things would turn out for the better so long as you didn't give up.  
  
You thought of what he would say to you if he could see you now.  
  
Papyrus would be there, holding you and telling you everything would be alright. He would encourage you to be strong. He would want you to stand up. To move forward. To **live**. Even if it was without him.  
  
Your dangerously quivering soul flickered with a hint of determination.  
  
Your thoughts turned to your friends. Were any of them still out there? Were they hidden away somewhere, cowering in fear as they awaited their destruction at the hands of a murderous child?  
  
And what of Frisk? What caused them to start killing people? Why had they murdered their friends?  
  
**Why?**  
  
You had to be strong. You had to find out. You had to protect whoever was left.  
  
As you lay there in the cold snow, clutching the scarf to yourself, you felt a wave of magic. You instinctively clenched your eyes shut as it hit you.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
When the wave had passed, you cautiously opened your eyes and were met with the sight of stone.  
  
You looked around in confusion at the familiar hallway. This was... The hallway leading to the throne room??  
  
You walked forward and soon heard voices.  
  
"Now, now. You mustn't be so rash. I'm sure we can find some other solution. You said they are a child. I'm sure they're just frightened." Asgore's voice rumbled  
  
"Ugh! Why do I even bother trying? I know it's just going to be the same every time!" Flowey sounded completely exasperated.  
  
You looked around the corner into the throne room at the familiar scene.  
  
This time, however, Flowey turned at locked eyes with you before you made a sound.  
  
Asgore turned his head and spotted you.  
  
"Who...?" Asgore's eyes widened. "You are human."  
  
"How... How did I get back here? What's going on?" you asked, still bewildered.  
  
"Heh..." Flowey smiled smugly. "So you CAN remember through Load and Reset. I thought as much."  
  
"Do you know this human, little flower?" Asgore asked.  
  
"Something like that." Flowey commented off-handedly, his attention remaining focused on you.  
  
"What's 'Load' and 'Reset'?" You asked.  
  
"They're part of a trio of time control powers." Flowey explained. "The third part is 'Save'. With 'Save', a person is able to make a save file of their progress. 'Load' allows them to return to the exact moment in time that they last 'Saved', and 'Reset' allows them to go all the way back to the beginning, when they first gained the powers."  
  
"Time magic?" Asgore asked. "I have not heard of such a power."  
  
Flowey glanced at him in annoyance. "Oh, you have. But that was quite a few resets ago."  
  
Something clicked in your head and your eyes widened. "Sans' nightmares... He mentioned something about resets..."  
  
Flowey laughed cruelly. "Of course that smiley trashbag would have nightmares about them, despite the fact that he can't remember them! Serves him right for being such a **cheating bastard...** "  
  
"Little flower!" Asgore scolded him sternly, and you saw Flowey wince at the reprimand.  
  
"Anyway..." he continued. "The thing about time magic is you can't have more than one person controlling it at a time. So, the one with the most Determination is the one that controls the resets. That USED to be me, until that kid fell down into the ruins..."  
  
"So, Frisk is the one currently controlling ti-"  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You looked around in confusion at the familiar hallway. You recognized it immediately and ran down the hallway to the throne room.  
  
"Welcome back." Flowey greeted you as you skidded into the room.  
  
Asgore turned his head and spotted you.  
  
"Who...?" Asgore's eyes widened. "You are human."  
  
You huffed in annoyance.  
  
Flowey gave you a wry smile. "Gets old real fast, doesn't it?"  
  
"Is it always this bad?" you asked.  
  
Asgore just listened to you two converse in utter confusion.  
  
"Only when someone's giving the kid a tough time. The last one who did that was Undyne." Flowey shrugged. "They've probably reached Sans. That would explain why they're having a bad time now."  
  
"It's strange... I don't remember Frisk having these powers on the surface..." You commented. "Unless..." You thought of the time you died, and the fact that you had been plunged back in time three years. Had Frisk used these powers to reset those two times?  
  
"Seems you're not as unfamiliar with 'Load' and 'Reset' as you thought you were." Flowey observed.  
  
"No, I guess not... But I don't understand why they would reset. Why would they force everyone back in time three years when the future was finally looking so bright?"  
  
Flowey eyed you in confusion. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Humans and monsters were living together on the surface before the reset. It had been a bit tough and took a lot of work, but humans finally acknowledged monsters as full-fledged citizens in our society. And Frisk was among those who fought for monster rights! They were the ambassador between monsters and humans, for crying out loud! They loved everyone..."  
  
Flowey was staring at you nervously. "Was... Was I there?"  
  
You nodded. "Yes. You and Frisk lived together with Toriel. You two were practically inseparable."  
  
Flowey looked stricken. "I don't remember that... I should remember, but I DON'T..."  
  
"Why don't you remember? You clearly remember other loads and resets?"  
  
Flowey gave you a bitter smile. "I probably didn't WANT to remember. It would take a lot of effort to FORCE me to forget, so I must have..." Flowey's stricken look returned. "...If everything on the surface was as you said it was... I think I can understand why I wouldn't want to remem-"  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You were back in the hallway. You groaned in annoyance and ran to the throne room where Flowey and Asgore were waiting.  
  
Asgore turned his head and spotted you.  
  
"Who...?" Asgore's eyes widened. "You are human."  
  
"Look..." Flowey began immediately. "As much of a pain in the ass as that smiley trashbag is, even he can't overcome the power of 'Load' and 'Reset'. One of these times, the kid is going to strike him down, and then there will be nothing stopping them from eliminating the rest of the underground."  
  
"Maybe I can find out why they're doing this? Maybe I can talk some sense into them?" you suggested.  
  
Flowey laughed. "Fat chance. You don't know them like I do. But maybe... Maybe your ability to remember through the resets will give you an advantage." Flowey shrugged. "Probably not. But if you can hold them off long enough, I might find a way to convince this idiot to help me regain control of the timeline." A dark smile bloomed on Flowey's features, and Asgore looked disgruntled at the insult.  
  
A shiver ran up your spine as you couldn't help but feel that was a BAD idea. However, standing around here certainly wasn't helping. "Where are they?"  
  
"In the Hall of Judgement." Flowey turned towards the doorway. "Head out this way and to the right. Just follow the path. You can't miss it."  
  
"What...? I am so confused..." Asgore muttered to no one in particular.  
  
"Right." You nodded and dashed through the door. You didn't know how much time you'd have before another reset occurred.  
  
You headed to the right and down the hall. It didn't take long for the clatter of battle to reach your ears. You turned one last corner and ran towards the doorway at the end of the hall.  
  
As soon as you entered the room, you were struck by its beauty. Rows of columns lined the golden hall. Stained glass windows featuring the Delta Rune, the symbol of the kingdom of monsters, ran the entire length of the room.  
  
The picturesque view of the hall was shattered as your eyes landed on the scene before you. There, in front of you, was Sans. In front of him, was a child. Not just any child, though. It was Frisk.  
  
And they had been **IMPALED.**  
  
Frisk drooped forward, twitching, with a gore-drenched bone piercing through their stomach and out their back. Thick red blood ran down the bone to the floor where it was pooling. On the ground next to them was a sharp knife.  
  
You stood there, staring in horror.  
  
Sans sensed your presence and turned. His eye, blazing with magic, locked onto you and went wide. He raised his hand and summoned an array of bon-  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You were in the hallway yet again.  
  
"Shit..." you cursed.  
  
You hadn't been prepared for such a gruesome sight.  
  
Sans... Sans had **killed** Frisk!  
  
But... Here you were. Back in the hallway. Did that mean that Frisk was able to 'Load' even after their death? If that were true, it was no wonder Flowey didn't think they could be stopped. Frisk was an incredibly stubborn child. Once they set their mind to something, nothing could deter them.  
  
And if they'd set their mind to eliminating monsters, then...  
  
No. You couldn't allow that. You had to stop them. Somehow.  
  
You had wasted enough time standing here. You had to get moving. You focused on the Hall of Judgment. On Sans' magical signature. On the dreadful aura that was squaring off against him. And then...  
  
You Blinked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep. Most of you guessed it. We've got ourselves a genocide run. Unfortunately, Reader also seems to have come in pretty late into it, too. 
> 
> Honestly, I listened to the two genocide run songs by NateWantsToBattle a lot while writing this. If you've never heard any of his music before, I'd recommend checking it out. He's got some really good Undertale songs (both covers of songs from the soundtrack and original ones) but he's got tons of other video game/anime/original songs, too. (I've actually been following his channel since long before Undertale came out.)
> 
>  
> 
> [Here's his Undertale songs playlist, for anyone who's curious.](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLY5f8vtstsfiqnB1GGvMAdPoCjjvhiC2g)


	54. Bad Time

With a crack, you reappeared in the Hall of Judgment.  
  
Sans' head whipped towards you at the sound and his eyes widened in surprise.  
  
His momentary distraction was a deadly mistake...  
  
The child dashed forward, knife at the ready. Sans turned back, realizing his error...  
  
Too late...  
  
The knife came down, an ominous trail of red marking its wake...  
  
... only for the child to be knocked back by a translucent white shield.  
  
Sans stumbled backwards, breathing heavily. His wide eyes took in the sight of the magical shield.  
  
Beyond the shield, the child also hastily stood back up, their facial features twitching in annoyance.  
  
"Shit... That was close." you breathed out.  
  
With the kid no longer in striking range, Sans returned his attention to you.  
  
He was eyeing you warily. "didn't realize there were **two** magic wielding humans down here. what're the odds?"  
  
You shrugged. "Higher than you would probably think."  
  
"that magic you used... it's the same as the barrier that keeps us trapped down here." he commented, examining the shield before turning his anxiously suspicious glance towards you. "just who, exactly, **are** you?"  
  
"That's... a bit complicated." you told him, letting the shield drop. "The short version is that I'm a friend from a prior reset who's here to try and set things right."  
  
"prior reset? you maintain your memories through the time anomalies?" Sans asked, being careful to never fully divert his attention from Frisk.  
  
You nodded. "Yes."  
  
Sans gave you a wan smile. "nothing personal, but can you prove that we're friends? i'm having a few trust issues when it comes to humans, if you couldn't tell." He gestured towards Frisk, who was, oddly enough, standing back and just watching things unfold.  
  
"Uh... What did you have in mind?" You asked, unsure how to prove you weren't just another human here to kill them.  
  
"tell me something about myself." Sans shrugged.  
  
"Well... You love telling jokes... You drink ketchup by the gallon... your favorite place to go is Grillby's... You love the stars..."  
  
"that's all well and good for proving you know who i am," Sans said, "but it doesn't exactly prove we're **friends**... try something more personal. something only a friend would know."  
  
"Uh..." you were drawing a blank. Every thought that came to you was something from your time with monsters on the surface, and those wouldn't help since they technically hadn't happened yet. You needed a personal fact about Sans from when he was living in the underground... Something not a lot of people would know... Something that hadn't been eliminated by the resets...  
  
The resets...  
  
That was it.  
  
"You suffer from nightmares." You told him. "Though you can't remember the details, you dream of the resets. Of everyone you love dying. You're relieved when Papyrus comes to wake you, because it means he's not dead..." your voice trailed off at the painful reminder that Papyrus had died this time. That, if you couldn't figure out why Frisk was doing this and put an end to it, he may be dead for good.  
  
Or worse. He could be trapped in an eternally repeating hell of death and resets.  
  
Sans' pupils were dim. His nightmares were definitely something he kept private. While Alphys had her suspicions, only he and Papyrus knew about them.  
  
He watched the grief and fear settle onto your features at the mention of his brother. So, it seemed you already knew.  
  
"heh... guess that'll do. so, what do you plan on doing now?"  
  
"Now? I find out why things turned out so differently, and try to fix it." You turned your attention to Frisk, who was watching the two of you while idly fiddling with the knife in their hands.  
  
Sans watched as you stepped forward, just past him to confront the child. "Frisk..." you addressed them. "Why are you doing this? Why are you hurting monsters? They're your friends!"  
  
Frisk just let out a snort of amusement, not responding.  
  
"Do... do you remember the surface? Is that why you're doing this? Because you don't remember and didn't know you could befriend the monsters here?" you asked.  
  
Frisk laughed outright at this. The sound of it was so different from the playful laughter you were used to hearing from them. An involuntary shiver ran up your spine.  
  
Once their laughter died down, they gave you a bright smile that was completely at-odds with the manic gleam in their eyes. "Is that what you think?" you startled at the sound of Frisk's voice, not used to hearing it. "That this was all some accident? That I reset by mistake and forgot that these monsters were my 'friends'?" They laughed again at your growing look of horror. "Oh, no. I can assure you that that is NOT the case. It was all quite intentional."  
  
"But... but WHY, Frisk? Why would you do something like this?" you pleaded with them. Your mind was racing as you tried to reconcile the charismatic, loving child you knew with the child laughing about murdering their friends before you. It just didn't make sense!  
  
"Why? Because they DESERVE it." They stated simply, smirking at you. "Sure, things were interesting for a bit, especially when those humans attacked the monster embassy, or when that stalker of yours left you quivering in a pool of your own blood, but then things got too... **cozy**..." They sneered in distaste. "Humans and monsters rallying together to live in **harmony?** Neither race deserves something like that. They're both too sinful." The creepy smile returned to their face. "Humans and monsters deserve to suffer for what they've done. They deserve to writhe in fear and agony as their lives are stripped away, over and over again. And I am here to fulfill that punishment!" they finished cheerfully, twirling their knife.  
  
You stared at Frisk aghast. This didn't make sense. It was like they were a completely different person! How could sweet, wonderful little Frisk become... THIS?  
  
"nice try, but i could have told you it was pointless." Sans spoke up. "this kid won't stop until they've killed everyone, both monster and human. and then? they'll reset and do it **all over again...** " You looked over at Sans who had his eyes locked on Frisk. "our only hope is to stop them here and now, before even more people have to suffer." His eye sockets went dark. "before even more people lose their loved ones..."  
  
Your heart wrenched painfully as you thought of Papyrus. His death was nearly unbearable to you, so what did that mean for Sans? Papyrus was the only family he had...  
  
"so... shall we pick up where we left off?" Sans asked Frisk casually.  
  
Frisk smiled dangerously, and you saw a flicker of magic dance across their skin. "I thought you'd never ask."  
  
Sans returned that dangerous smile, his eye socket blazing with magic. "well, here we go."  
  
You stumbled back out of the way as the two returned to their fight. This was not what you wanted to happen! But what were you suppose to do? Frisk clearly wasn't themself...  
  
You gasped as Frisk bounded forward towards Sans, knife at the ready. Sans countered by activating his blue magic. With a wave of his hand, Frisk was slammed into the ground. You gasped as Frisk desperately leaped out of the way just before a row of bones emerged from the ground beneath them. Sans sent waves of bones at Frisk, but Frisk weaved through them. Several of those terrifying skull blasters he'd used against you at the riot appeared and began to fire.  
  
One blast. Dodged.  
  
Two blasts. Dodged.  
  
Three blasts. Frisk cried out in pain as their arm was clipped.  
  
Four Blasts.  
  
Direct hit.  
  
You watched in horror as the final pair of blasters took out Frisk's lower-right half. Their leg and most of their hip was incinerated after taking the full force of the blast. Your stomach leaped up into your throat as their intestines slid from their open abdominal cavity as their body collapse to the ground in a wet, bloody heap.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You immediately bent over and vomited.  
  
Sans eyed you with concern. "you okay, pal?"  
  
You heard a scoff. "You act like you've never seen anyone get eviscerated before." Your head shot up and you locked eyes with Frisk, standing there perfectly fine.  
  
Sans' eyes drifted to them. "i take it i got ya?"  
  
Frisk rolled their shoulders as they stretched. "For now." they smiled darkly at him. "You can't keep it up forever, Sans. It's only a matter of time before I know your **every** move..."  
  
Sans' smile looked a little strained at the taunt, but it didn't waver. "not if you just take a hint and give up. could save yourself a lot of time and pain if you did."  
  
"And miss out on the fun of watching you die? I think not." Frisk smiled broadly.  
  
With that, the two were at it again. Frisk made it past Sans' initial attack this time, though they were hardly unscathed. They darted forward and took a swipe at Sans with that knife, but Sans easily dodged it, using his blue magic to weigh Frisk down to the floor again.  
  
Sans lifted his hands in a shrug, winking. "what? you think i'm just gonna stand there and take it?"  
  
Pairs of bones began to form, rushing at Frisk. Frisk jumped through the openings in each set, looking like they were playing jump rope.  
  
While they were doing this, you got your first good look at their soul. It was **black**. No... wait... Sans' blue magic faded from it briefly, and you were able to make it out more clearly. It wasn't actually black. Rather, it was a red so dark that it was nearly indistinguishable from black. You had never seen anything like it.  
  
Yet, somehow, something about it felt familiar.  
  
The last few bones passed by, and Frisk looked much the worse for wear. They swiped at Sans, but he easily stepped out of the way. He lifted his hand and used his magic to slam Frisk against the wall. Moments later, bones thrust out from the surface, impaling Frisk again. They let out a wet gurgle before their body went limp.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You struggled not to heave as you found yourself back at the start of the fight.  
  
Frisk huffed in annoyance. "Really, now. Are you still getting worked up over seeing me killed? You should know by now that, so long as I possess the ability to Save and Load, death is meaningless to me."  
  
Sans eyed you with concern. "you okay, pal?"  
  
You nodded as you got your breathing back under control. You turned back to Frisk. "Please... Please stop this... Frisk..."  
  
"You haven't figured that out yet, either, have you?" You looked at them in confusion. They tutted in mock disappointment. "Honestly, now... Even THEY know who I really am. ...Partially, anyway." Chara gestured towards the people reading this, earning a nonplussed response from Sans, and a look of utter bewilderment from you. "I know it's been a long time, but after everything we've been through together, you don't recognize an old 'friend'?"  
  
You continued to stare in confusion. "What? What are you talking about?"  
  
"Well, I say 'friend' but we were more acquaintances, really." Frisk admitted. "Still, I would think you'd remember me since I was one of the ones that lent you the power to help strengthen the barrier." They smiled darkly at you.  
  
Sans' eyes shot to you as your own widened. "W-What?!" you exclaimed. Now you knew why their soul felt familiar. It was much darker than it had been back then, but now that you knew who they were, the power emanating from it was unmistakable. "Y-You're... you're the red-souled mage who was manipulating the king..."  
  
Frisk rolled their eyes at that. "I HAD a name, you know. Although, I suppose it doesn't really matter." They smirked deviously at you. "After all, **you** were the important one there, given that it was YOUR magic being used to trap monsters in this pit."  
  
You cringed. You didn't need to look to know that Sans was staring you down as Frisk revealed this information.  
  
"That was under duress, and I've regretted it ever since. When monsters returned to the surface, I worked hard to earn their forgiveness. We... we found **peace** and **acceptance**. Humans and monsters were finally overcoming their differences. And then you had to go and **undo everything!** " you accused. Something niggled at the back of your mind. Something wasn't quite right. Then, it occurred to you. "Wait... How is that even possible? You never showed signs of having time magic during the war. Your ability was some weak mind manipula-" your words died in your throat, and Frisk smiled darkly at you.  
  
"So, you've finally figured it out. I was worried you were going to strike out completely." They laughed. "It's true. I don't possess the power of time magic. This kid, however, does."  
  
All the color had drained from your face.  
  
Sans spoke up, his eyes dark. "so you, what? mind controlled some kid to do your bidding? you're more twisted than i thought."  
  
"You're one to talk." They taunted him.  
  
"How is that even POSSIBLE?" you asked, exasperated. "Your power was weak. Anyone with half an idea of what you could do could resist. Someone as determined as Frisk should have had no trouble with that."  
  
The person controlling Frisks body smiled, though it seemed slightly strained and angry. "Times change, barrier mage. Let's just say I've had a LOT of time to practice."  
  
Sans sighed. "unfortunate though it is, this doesn't change a thing." He locked eyes with not-Frisk, his eye sockets cold and hard. "you're still a threat to everyone, both here and on the surface. so, whether that's your body or not, i can't let you pass."  
  
"Sans! You can't! Frisk is innocent! They wouldn't have wanted this!" you pleaded.  
  
Sans glanced at you, apologetically. "sorry, pal. there just isn't any other choice."  
  
Before you could protest again, Sans began his attack. You could do nothing but watch in despair as the two fought. Finally, after several rounds, Sans' attacks overcame his opponent once again.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You were back at the beginning of the fight.  
  
"I don't understand..." you murmured. "I just don't understand. Why would you do something like this? Why would you ruin so many lives? Just **who are you?** " you asked them, desperately.  
  
"Who am I?" they responded, chuckling. "I am the demon that comes when people call its name. You... You may call me Chara."  
  
You saw Sans' face twist up in confused recognition. "just what are you playing at, kid?  
  
"What I'm 'playing at' is a game of power and control. This world cruel. Unjust. The only true constant is 'kill or be killed.' But soon enough that won't matter, because I am going to bring an end to all the cruelty and suffering. Soon, I will end everything."  
  
A shiver of fear ran up your spine, and Sans' eye sockets were dark. His smile widened, dark and foreboding. "heh... not if i have anything to say about it."  
  
Sans started his attack.  
  
You stumbled back, out of the way as the two proceeded to fight. _"No... I can't let this continue. Chara's control or no, that's still Frisk. Maybe... Maybe if I can trap them, we can figure out how to end Chara's control."_  
  
You began to focus your magic, forming a barrier underneath Chara while they were in the air, leaping over one last bone attack. They had no way to stop themself from landing inside it, and you quickly sealed it shut.  
  
Sans halted his attack, taking a moment to catch his breath upon seeing Chara trapped within the barrier. Chara, for their part, simply stood there examining the barrier with a detached curiosity.  
  
"It's over, Chara," you told them. "I'm not going to let you hurt anyone else. Now, let Frisk go!" you demanded.  
  
Chara smiled, their quiet giggling growing louder and louder until they were howling in laughter. "Is this it? Is this your grand plan to stop me?!" they laughed some more, and both you and Sans watched them tensely, more than a little on-edge. "Tell me..." They continued once their laughter had died down. "Do you know why monsters are so much weaker than humans?"  
  
You exchanged a glance with Sans, confused by the sudden change of subject.  
  
"It is because they are made of magic. Their soul, their magic, are one. With no physical barrier to protect their souls, they are susceptible to the ill-intentions of others." Chara continued to explain. "A person with murderous intent can do quite a bit of damage to a monster, as such inclinations allow them to strike directly at their body, their soul, without hesitation. But, do you know what's even more powerful than a human with murderous intent?"  
  
You watched Chara with growing trepidation, and saw Sans from the corner of your eye preparing a bone attack.  
  
Chara gave you a creepy, twisted smile. "A human with murderous intent, and the magic and LOVE to back it up." With that, Chara lifted their knife, it's blade glowing an ominous red color, and slashed at your barrier.  
  
Your barrier cracked, and shattered, barely offering any resistance.  
  
"No!" You exclaimed, then gasped and stumbled backwards as Chara charged you, that terrifying smile never leaving their face.  
  
Your eyes widened in horror as they leapt at you, blade arcing. You felt the knife slice into your skin and cried out in pain.  
  
You vaguely registered a wet thunk as you fell backwards. After you'd hit the ground, you looked up from the bleeding gash across your chest to see Chara impaled on several bones in front of you, Sans standing a ways beyond them with his arms still extended from channeling the attack.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Chara began laughing as soon as the Load was completed.  
  
Sans eyed them in confusion, and you stood there, panting and trembling.  
  
"The look on your face was PRICELESS!" Chara mocked you, then gave you that twisted smile. "Almost makes me want to do it again..."  
  
You stumbled backwards until you were in-line with Sans.  
  
"what happened?" Sans asked you.  
  
"I... I tried to trap them in a barrier, but... but they destroyed it so easily, and then attacked me... You, uh... stopped them before they could do more than wound me..."  
  
"ah, i see."  
  
"That's what you get for trying to INTERFERE, barrier mage." Chara ridiculed you. "So, why don't you run along, and maybe I'll consider sparing you, for old-time's sake? That is... unless you'd like to stay and watch me kill Sans..." Their smile was manic.  
  
You sputtered and backed off a bit more, eyes wide. You weren't sure what to do. You didn't want to hurt Frisk, but they were too strong for you to trap.  
  
"Heh. Suit yourself." Chara smiled darkly, then turned their attention back to Sans.  
  
Torn by your own fear and indecision, you did nothing as the two battled once again.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Another 'win' for Sans. But could it be considered a win when your opponent could turn back time and try again? Really, Sans' only hope of truly winning was if he could frustrate Chara into giving up... but they possessed a Determined soul, just like Frisk. Getting them to back down would be easier said than done. Worse yet... Chara was learning Sans' attack patterns a bit more with each attempt. It was only a matter of time before they overcame him...  
  
Sans and Chara jumped back into battle.  
  
"Why are you doing this in the first place, Chara? What did monsters ever do to you?" you asked, frustrated by the hopelessness of the situation, and terrified of what would happen.  
  
"You should know the answer to that better than anyone else." They scoffed at you, dodging a bone attack.  
  
"What?" You just stared at them in confusion.  
  
"We're very much alike, you and I... We have both endured countless lives and suffered the consequences of having magic." They explained as they weaved between blasts. "Time and again we have been born into this uncaring world, only to suffer torment and hatred before our inevitable demise."  
  
Your eyes widened in surprise... So Chara's soul DID reincarnated like your own... But the way they described it... Had all their lives been filled with suffering? Had they never known what it meant to be loved and accepted, even once?  
  
"And the reason we have suffered so much? Because we were labeled as MONSTERS by humanity. We were too much like THEM, and that made us TARGETS." They slashed at Sans, and missed, almost as emphasis to their words.  
  
"That still doesn't explain why you'd hate monsters. That was a failing of humanity." you pointed out.  
  
"Perhaps..." Chara conceded, with a shrug before rolling out of the way of another attack. "That does not preclude them from being the sinful creatures they are, though."  
  
"What are you talking about?" you asked, not understanding where Chara was going with this.  
  
They chuckled. "That's a bit of a long stor-SHIT!" They cursed as they dodged the wrong way and were impaled.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Chara huffed in annoyance.  
  
Sans chuckled. "that look on your face... seems that i got ya."  
  
Chara just glared at him.  
  
"Well?" You asked. "What's your story?"  
  
Chara smiled at you, the look notably less creepy than usual, apparently pleased with the attention and interest. "Very well. I'll tell you." They brandished their knife. "But only while I'm battling this bastard. I'm not going to waste precious time that could be used learning his patterns on **story time**. I haven't forgotten about that  treacherous flower, after all." They finished with a growl.  
  
You weren't sure what Flowey had done to anger Chara, but whatever it was, they were PISSED.  
  
"whatever. it's **no skin off my nose.** " Sans winked.  
  
You covered your eyes and groaned at the pun, while Chara stared at him, deadpan.  
  
"sheesh. tough audience." Sans muttered, still vaguely amused.  
  
"Let's just get this started already." Chara snapped, and the fight began.  
  
After Sans' nasty first attack had been successfully dodged, Chara began their story. "This world is made of hatred and suffering. It always has been. People cannot understand those who are different than them, so they seek to destroy them. Time and again, life after life, I was branded a freak, a monster, a demon." They growled. "All because I was different. I don't know when it started, but I began to expect that reaction, even before I knew of my magic. Not once was I proven wrong. Sometimes my parents would kill or abandon me, sometimes they would try to 'drive the evil from my soul'. It didn't matter. The result was always the same..." they muttered bitterly. "Eventually, I came to resent monsters. I thought that the reason I was feared and hated was because people feared and hated monsters and their magic. I thought, if I could rid the world of them, I might finally be accepted."  
  
They paused their story to dodge a particularly brutal attack from Sans. "And so, I plotted... As you already know, my magic was weak. I could manipulate people, but if I pushed too far and they realized what I was doing, the spell was broken. I eventually learned the best use of my powers was on the weak-willed and feeble-minded, but that wasn't terribly helpful. That is, until I heard of the old, ailing king with a renowned hatred for monsters." Chara smiled darkly, dodging another attack.  
  
"I knew he was the perfect target... One who was susceptible to my power, whose standing would allow me to command others through him, and whose inclinations towards monsters would suit my needs. It was difficult, but I gained an audience with the king on the claim that I had urgent intelligence on the monsters. Once there, I showed him a book I had found in an old monster hut that had been abandoned during a skirmish some years back. It was a book of tales and legends... One of which, was about an ancient monster who absorbed his human lover's soul and wiped-out an entire village with the power it granted him. With that image planted in his head, it was a simple matter to manipulate him into declaring war on monsters, with me as his expert adviser." Chara chuckled. "The power was... GLORIOUS. To have so many people bend to my will, all because I controlled their king..." Chara slashed at Sans and missed again, a scowl spreading across their face. "But the old fool had to go and die before the job could be finished. The army was suppose to follow monsters inside this prison and finish them off... But the prince-turned-king refused. He was too strong-willed for me to control... He declared the war over, and kicked me out of his court." Chara rolled out of the way of another attack, wincing as it clipped their leg. "I wasn't able to build a force to finish the job before my life was ended yet again." Chara was breathing heavily, now. They had taken a lot of damage. They staggered as they dodged the next attack, but were unable to dodge the follow-up, succumbing to their wounds.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Chara stretched their limbs, prepared for the next attempt.  
  
The battle began anew.  
  
"So, you were behind the entire war..." You glared at them. Everything that had happened was their fault.  
  
"I was. Though, in the end, my plan failed." They scowled. "I was reborn again, sometime later, as Chara. I was feared right from the start for my red eyes... The people from my village said that I was the demon that comes when called by name. The only reason they did not kill me outright was because they feared that doing so would put a curse on the village. That did not, however, stop them from tormenting me." Chara looked angry. "One day, I just couldn't take it anymore, so I ran away. I ran to the one place I knew they'd never follow... The cursed mountain... Mt. Ebott..."  
  
Chara dodged another of Sans' attacks like it was nothing. They were getting very good at avoiding them. "I wandered into this cave filled with roots, but it was so dark... Too dark for me to see the gaping pit... I tripped, and fell into the mountain." Despite seeming lost in their story, Chara continued to dodge Sans' attacks with ease. "Somehow, I managed to survive the fall, and was soon found by a young monster, Asriel Dreemurr."  
  
"Wait... ASRIEL Dreemurr?" You asked, in shock.  
  
Sans, who had been silent this whole time, spoke up. "he was the son of king asgore and queen toriel. the kind-hearted prince of the underground kingdom of monsters."  
  
"I didn't know Asgore and Toriel had a kid!" You exclaimed.  
  
"heh... well, that may be because it's still a tender subject, even after all these years..."  
  
Chara huffed childishly. "Hey! This is MY story!"  
  
"sorry." Sans apologized for interrupting, which was a weird thing to hear from the guy currently trying to incinerate the child he was apologizing to.  
  
"Anyway, Asriel took me home with him so that my injuries could be tended to. I still remember the looks of fear and disgust the other monsters gave me along the way... The only reason they let me pass was because of Asriel... The king and queen, realizing I was trapped like them and had no one else, adopted me as one of their own." Chara actually looked a bit torn by this. "It was... strange. Despite the fact that I was a human, their sworn enemy, they treated me the same as they did Asriel. They gave me food and shelter, read me stories, played games with me... And Asriel... He was always so happy to have me around... He'd go out of his way to do things he knew I liked... It was... It was **weird** , but..." Chara seemed to shake the confusing thoughts, and continued. "Anyway, time passed, and I began to recall the events of my past lives... I realized that monsters were not the terrible creatures I thought they were, and that it was all my fault that they were trapped down here." Chara took a half-hearted swipe at Sans, clearly distracted by their reminiscing. "I also realized just what I could do to fix it... To break the barrier, it would need to be hit with an attack that matched the power that had been put into it. The power of seven human souls. Unfortunately, even united, the monsters of the underground could not match that power. There was one possibility, however... It was a bit of a gamble, but I was fairly certain it would work. The legend of the monster with the human soul described the monster as having incredible power... enough power, perhaps, to push through the barrier."  
  
"Wait... but didn't the monster in that story absorb the soul of his DEAD lover?" you asked.  
  
"He did." Chara confirmed, a dark smile working its way onto their face. You didn't like where this was going. "I poisoned myself by eating buttercups, so that Asriel could take my soul. It was... an unpleasant way to go, but my deaths usually are." Chara shrugged it off.  
  
"wait... you killed yourself on **purpose?** do you have any idea how much grief you caused your parents? the pain you caused the **entire underground?** " Sans snapped at the kid.  
  
Chara seemed unfazed. "I am aware, yes. It would have been worth the cost if Asriel hadn't betrayed me!" they snapped back. "He absorbed my soul and, together, we were successful in pushing our way through the barrier, carrying my body under the guise of fulfilling my dying wish to see the flowers in my village again. When we got there, the villagers, fearful and angry, attacked. We could have killed them. We should have leveled that village to the ground, but... Asriel resisted. We were suppose to collect 6 more human souls and use the god-like power it would grant us to destroy the barrier and take back the surface for monsters! Instead, he backed down like a coward and returned to the mountain. The injuries our shared body had sustained were too much, and we died right there in the throne room. But... that was not the end..." Chara actually seemed pained as they told you of their plan and ultimate demise.  
  
Your heart was aching. You actually kind of felt bad for Chara... As twisted as their whole plan was, you could see that they probably MEANT well. You were well aware of just how cruel humanity could be... It didn't sound like Chara had experienced ANY good lives. You could understand their desire to help monsters after finally finding acceptance with them.  
  
"I had TRUSTED him, and Asriel not only betrayed me, but trapped my soul in this pit." Chara seemed furious.  
  
"He... trapped your soul??" You asked, surprised.  
  
"He did, by returning us to the mountain and dying in here. Normally, my soul would reincarnate, but with the barrier in place, I could not." Chara explained. "Instead, I became stuck in the sliver of void cordoned off by the barrier."  
  
"Wait... there's a piece of the void cut off inside the barrier, too?"  
  
"yep. it's why abilities like my shortcut can't be used to escape. i can travel through the void to any place within the underground, but i hit a wall if i try to go outside of it." Sans summoned a blaster.  
  
That made sense, you guessed.  
  
"So, I spent the next several hundred years unable to move on, and with no body of my own. I had nothing to do but practice my magic and watch the people of the underground. I was disgusted by what I saw. I had thought monsters were better than humans, but they weren't. They were just as capable of terrible acts as humans were. I came to realize both races were sinful and vile and deserved to be punished." They growled. "It was difficult, but I learned a new way to use my power. A way that could only be used when I had no body of my own. By latching on to a person's soul directly, I can gain complete control of them. I can overpower their own will with my Determination. Of course, it does not work so well on monsters, as they will instantly begin to melt... I learned that lesson when I tried to control the previous Royal Scientist. The fool even managed to throw himself into the Core upon realizing what I was trying to do and what was happening to his body. It was quite the explosion."  
  
Sans' facial features were scrunched up as he tried to remember. He didn't remember anything about a Royal Scientist falling into the Core, and he had worked there before Alphys had been appointed. Who had been her predecessor? Despite the niggling sensation at the edges of his mind that he should KNOW the answer, he couldn't quite recall.  
  
"Then, one day, I was awoken from one of my slumbers by the latest child to fall into the underground... A child with incredible determination and the power to control time itself." Chara's insane grin was returning. "I tried to control them, but they resisted. Their determination was a match even for my own. I tried to tempt them, to convince them to do as I said, but they did not waver. I watched them make their way through the underground, befriending all the monsters here, and then, they found a way to break the barrier. I was... I was FREE." There was a wistful look on Chara's face that remained even after rolling out of the way of another blaster. "I could feel the power to reincarnate return to me, but... why would I? Why would I go back to square one after all the work I put into mastering my powers? When I still hadn't had a chance to get my revenge?" Chara looked unhinged and furious. "No... There was no way I was going to allow myself to go back into that hellish cycle of death and rebirth. So, I RESISTED. Instead, I followed that child. I knew that, with their power, I could be unstoppable, and so I watched events unfold, continuing to whisper and tempt them all the while. They may have been able to match my determination, but they were still bound by the limitations of their own body. They still needed to eat and sleep... And so, bit by bit, night by night, I chipped away at their resistance. It was funny, watching them try to excuse my influence as them 'having a headache' or 'feeling sick', all because they didn't want to WORRY those around them." Chara laughed.  
  
You felt ill. All those times Frisk had said they weren't feeling well... Each time Papyrus, or Sans, or you, or anyone else had gone to visit them to try and help them feel better... That was because of Chara's influence?  
  
"I will give them credit, they fought off my influence for quite a while. Three years... But, they're still just a child. They did not have the eons of experience through life after life that I possessed. Their fall was... inevitable." Chara's smile was dark and dangerous. "And now, with the power to control time itself, I can finally punish monsters and humans alike for their wretchedness and depravity... I will bathe the world in blood and dust until time itself rots away..."  
  
You were staring at Chara in horror. Their soul was pulsing with hatred and murderous intent so strong, you could feel it from where you were standing. You watched them clash with Sans, who was sweating profusely with the effort to keep up, his eyes dark as he dodged, and his ever-present smile strained.  
  
Chara's insane laughter echoed through the hall as they pursued Sans. Sans used his blue magic to throw them back to the opposite end of the hall and began summoning an attack that was even worse than his opening.  
  
It was no good. Chara dodged bones and blasters, with and without Sans' blue magic restricting them, closing the gap between them and Sans with each step. They did not even slow as Sans began to summon a growing spiral of blasters all around them. They just kept running in a tight circle, staying just ahead of the blasts...  
  
Sans was drenched in sweat and panting hard as he put everything he had into this attack. He was clearly on his last legs.  
  
A shiver ran down your spine as you thought of what would happen if Sans lost. If Chara managed to get past him.  
  
You couldn't let that happen.  
  
_"I'm sorry, Frisk..."_  
  
The manic grin was wiped from Chara's face as they ran straight into a translucent white shield. They barely had time to process what it was before the blasts caught up with them.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Sans blinked curiously at the child that stood across from him. They looked absolutely LIVID, but instead of that fury being focused on him, like he expected, they were glaring straight at you.  
  
" You dirty cheater..." They growled ominously at you.  
  
Sans glanced at you. You looked a little guilty and green around the gills, like you had just done something terrible... A quick glance at your soul showed no increase in your LOVE or EXP, though. The green soul your body housed, however, was now rimmed with the red of Determination.  
  
"If you think I'm just going to stand back and watch you destroy everyone and everything I care for over and over, than you've got another thing coming." You told them, your expression hardening.  
  
Chara's face was blank now as they stared at you, deadpan. "So, you think this will actually make a difference? You think you can actually BEAT me?" They scoffed. "Don't make me LAUGH, barrier mage. That may have been true, once, but I'm not the same weakling I was back then."  
  
"Neither am I." You moved to stand next to Sans. "This time, I have my friends to stand beside me."  
  
Chara laughed outright at this. "Have you forgotten already? I know his every move! I can dodge any attack he throws at me! Do you really think you can make THAT much of a difference?"  
  
"It made a difference in that last fight, now didn't it?"  
  
Chara's laughter ceased, and they looked thoughtful for a moment. You tensed as the thoughtful look morphed into one of dangerous excitement. "Very well, barrier mage. Let's play."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader has joined the Fight!
> 
> Hope you guys all enjoyed story time with Chara! They're a very chatty sort, it seems, and very much enjoy having a captive audience. (though, if you're not careful, it may not be a "live" audience.) 
> 
> In the next chapter Reader will finally be joining in the fight to stop Chara. The real question is, will they be able to hold out long enough to find a way to stop them? Time is most certainly not on their side...


	55. Layest Bare Thine Sins Within the Hall of Judgment

Sans glanced at you, concerned. "you sure about this, pal?"  
  
You nodded, solemnly. "I don't want to hurt Frisk... I really don't... But with Chara controlling their body, and with how close they came to killing you last time, I can't afford to stand back anymore."  
  
"chara??" Sans asked in confusion.  
  
Oh. You'd forgotten that Chara had been forced to Load after that conversation.  
  
"Long story short, Chara, the long-dead adopted child of Asgore and Toriel, is the reincarnated form of one of the seven mages, like myself. Their power involves magical manipulation, and, while their soul was trapped inside the barrier, they learned to possess the souls of others. They're currently controlling Frisk, who has the ability to manipulate time and used it to free monsters before they succumbed to Chara's power and were forced to reset into this hell. Now, Chara plans on using that power to murder everyone in the world over and over again." You summarized.  
  
Sans' pupils were dim as he stared at you, his expression otherwise unreadable. "huh... kind of makes me feel like i'm in one of those cartoons alphys likes to watch..."  
  
You couldn't help but snort in amusement. "Yeah, it kind of does." You quickly sobered up. "I just hope things end as well for us as it does in those shows..."  
  
Sans returned his attention to Chara, a pained expression on his face. "for some people, maybe... but for the rest of us, it's already too late for a happy ending..."  
  
Your heart sank briefly at the reminder, but the determination in your soul buoyed you. You placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, grabbing his attention. "That's not true. Frisk was able to save me from death, before. They love the monsters of the underground with all their heart. If we can free them from Chara, they may be able to fix this."  
  
"heh... that's a bit of a long-shot. do you even know **how** we'd free them? souls are delicate things, you know. trying to force chara to release them could just wind up shattering their soul."  
  
"I don't know..." you admitted. "But, if Papyrus has taught me one thing, it's that sometimes you just have to have faith."  
  
Sans blinked at you, slightly stunned, then a warm smile spread across his face. "you're right. what else do we have to lose?"  
  
"If you two are done, I'd like to Save now so I never have to witness that again." Chara grouched childishly.  
  
You and Sans exchanged a look.  
  
"go ahead. it's **no skin off my nose** , kid." Sans winked.  
  
"Augh! You've already said that one!"  
  
You snorted in amusement at their frustration.  
  
"have i?" Sans asked, though he didn't really seem to care, even if he had.  
  
Magic flickered across Chara's skin as they saved, then they brandished their knife. "I am going to enjoy ripping you both apart."  
  
As the battle began, Chara's soul was once again pulled out of their body, and you felt a tugging sensation as yours was as well.  
  
You stared, stunned, at your soul. While you and Papyrus had held each other's souls during your last night together, you hadn't gotten the chance to actually see your own soul then. In fact, the last time you had seen your own soul was when Undyne had attacked you a year and a half ago. Back then it had been a dingy, muddy green, covered in scars and nicks... an ugly, worn thing... Now... Now, it glowed a brilliant green, like a bright light shining through a chunk of emerald, with the scars and nicks acting as facets in its flawed, but beautiful, surface. When had that happened?  
  
"watch out!" Sans shouted, and you instinctively brought up your barrier.  
  
The knife cleaved through it, but not before you had stumbled back out of the range of the swing.  
  
Sans forced Chara back with a wave of bones.  
  
"If you're going to get so distracted oogling your own soul, than you DESERVE to die." Chara mocked you.  
  
"if you're gonna help fight this kid, you need to get your head in the game, pal. you can't afford to take your eye off them for a second. not if you want to live, anyway." Sans scolded you, keeping his eye sockets locked on Chara.  
  
"S-Sorry..." you blushed with embarrassment.  
  
Chara scoffed. "I don't know why you looked so awed by your soul, anyway. It's much, MUCH more fragile with all that LOVE gone." Chara brandished their knife and smiled at you viciously.  
  
"gone? you saying she wasn't always LV 1? that she found a way to reduce LOVE?" Sans asked, shooting your soul a brief glance.  
  
You took a few moments to absorb the fact that your LOVE was gone before responding. "It's... It's true. Not sure how high it was, but I had a high LOVE rating... Then we discovered that the secret to reducing LOVE was love... The greater the love, the stronger the connection with others, the faster a person can reduce their LOVE..." You thought of your friends and family... But most of all, you thought of how much you loved Papyrus... Of how badly it **hurt** to know he was gone... You closed your eyes briefly and thought of what he would say to you now if he could...  
  
_"YOU MUSTN'T GIVE UP, NOW! EVERYBODY'S COUNTING ON YOU, BOTH MONSTERS AND HUMANS, EVEN IF THEY DON'T KNOW IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! I KNOW YOU CAN! YOU JUST NEED TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! YOU JUST NEED TO SEE YOURSELF THE WAY I DO! BESIDES... YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LET MY LAZYBONES OF A BROTHER BE MORE MOTIVATED THAN YOU, ARE YOU? I'M PRETTY SURE UNDYNE WOULD HAVE AN ANEURYSM IF YOU DID..."_  
  
A smile twitched its way onto your face, and the red of Determination which had been receding in your soul surged forth with renewed vigor. You opened your eyes and locked them onto Chara, who was dodging Sans' attacks right now. They took a swipe at Sans, who dodged, then immediately dove back away from him to avoid his retaliation with his blaster.  
  
With some distance between the two, now, Chara took a moment to take in the change in your soul. "Hmph. You finally done DAYDREAMING?" they sneered before leaping over Sans' bone attack and onto some debris that kept them elevated above the sea of bones below.  
  
"Something like that." You smirked at them, raising your hand and launching a small barrier at their feet, causing them to trip over it and into Sans' attack.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Chara was staring at you, deadpan. The silence between the three of you stretched on uncomfortably before the corners of Chara's mouth began to twitch upward into a deranged looking smile and they began to chuckle quietly.  
  
You and Sans exchanged an wary glance.  
  
"And here I thought you'd lost your nerve already." Chara smiled at you dangerously, their eyes drifting down to your chest where your soul resided, putting you on-edge. "Good. I could use a new challenge." They brandished their knife, and the battle commenced.  
  
Chara began to dart forward, and Sans began his first attack. Chara ducked and weaved through the bones and blasters as they quickly closed the gap.  
  
You raised your hand and summoned another small barrier at their feet. The instant you did, they grinned and dove over it into a roll under the next blaster attack. "You're going to have to try harder than that, barrier mage!" they taunted you, then took a swipe at Sans before bounding back again.  
  
You threw your hand out, summoning a mobile shield, and hit them from the side into Sans' attack. They cried out in pain, but quickly regained their footing, cutting down your barrier before it could hit when you tried to do it again.  
  
They were laughing by the time they reached Sans again and took another swipe at him, their wide-eyed smile with blood dripping down their face from the gash on their forehead creating a truly frightening scene. "Yes! That's it! I was growing so BORED of these pathetic monsters! Give me a REAL challenge!  Entertain me, barrier mage!"  
  
The smile did not fade from their face as you slammed them in mid-air with another shield, straight onto a sharpened bone.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Chara wasted no time this time, the manic grin still on their face, as they initiated the fight once again.  
  
You did your best to hinder them with your shields, but it wasn't easy. Chara was good... Chara was VERY good. Each time you caught them off-guard with a new tactic, they would learn from it. They jumped over your low barriers, kept their knife at the ready to cut down any that came at them when they were jumping in the air, rolled to the side when you tried to ram them into attacks from behind...  
  
Time and again you used your magic to trip them up and push them into Sans' attacks, and time and again they Loaded and came back for more.  
  
"Hahahahaha!" Chara laughed after Loading again. "You're getting almost as good at killing children without hesitation as Sans is, barrier mage!" they taunted you as the battle began again.  
  
You cringed slightly at the accusation. "We're not good at killing 'children'. Just you."  
  
"Oh? Is that what you think?" Chara smirked mockingly at you. "That I'm some sort of exception? That Mr. Laser Skulls over there wouldn't DREAM of hurting a child unless they had murdered most of the underground?"  
  
You didn't notice the nervous look on Sans' face. "Of course he wouldn't." You asserted confidently.  
  
"Wrong again, barrier mage!" Chara crowed. "The only thing that stopped Sans here from murdering Frisk and myself the moment we stepped outside the ruins was some flimsy promise to a strange old lady through a door. Isn't that right, Sans?"  
  
"don't waste your breath on this kid. they're trying to mess with your head." Sans told you as he continued to fight.  
  
"Aw, don't be like that Sans! It's not like you're the ONLY one down here whose behavior is less than scrupulous. Why, all the most influential monsters in the underground have their own sins." Chara crooned mockingly before being forced to duck out of the way of a particularly close blaster shot. Despite their arm being singed, they grinned triumphantly at Sans.  
  
"I'm not going to fall for your lies, Chara!" you told them, summoning another barrier and shoving them towards another of Sans' bone attacks, causing them to be clipped by the attack.  
  
"Who needs lies when the truth is so much uglier?" Chara sneered. "Don't tell me you've deluded yourself into believing monsters are incapable of doing any wrong?"  
  
"Of course not." You responded defensively. "I'm perfectly aware that monsters have their flaws. However, they're nowhere near the level of humans when it comes to atrocities."  
  
This made Chara laugh so hard they stopped trying to dodge altogether.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Sans looked at you in utter confusion once the Load was finished and Chara stood opposite the two of you laughing hysterically.  
  
After a minute or two, Chara calmed down enough to speak once again. "You honestly think that monsters aren't as bad as humans? Such ignorance! It seems I'm going to have to educate you..."  
  
"don't waste your breath on this kid. they're trying to mess with your head." Sans told you as he prepared his first attack.  
  
"So you've told her already." Chara scoffed. "But that's alright... She doesn't need to speak to hear the truth." They smirked as they immediately fell back into the routine of dodging Sans' attacks while keeping an eye out for your attempts to trip them up.  
  
"Where to begin, where to begin..." they pondered tauntingly. "How about we start small and then work our way up?"  
  
Sans grunted in annoyance as he dodged Chara's attack. He was pretty sure he knew some of the things Chara would tell you about, but there was nothing he could do to stop them. He could only hope that what they told you wouldn't affect your determination to stop them from destroying both monsters and humans.  
  
"Did you know that Undyne is a habitual liar?" Chara asked you.  
  
You paused for only a moment before resuming your attempts to stop them. "So what? Everyone lies once in a while."  
  
"But most people don't constantly lie to the person they claim is their best friend." Chara smirked as your face twisted up in confusion. "Undyne has been lying to Papyrus since their friendship began. Day after day he worked and trained to become a member of the Royal Guard, but Undyne never had ANY intention of letting him join..." Chara grinned. "Yet, she strung him along, allowing him to think that, one day, he'd be allowed in... All that work and toil and trust for nothing... Betrayed right from the start by his best, and only, friend..."  
  
"Undyne didn't betray Papyrus. I know her too well to think she'd even consider doing that. She cared about him. She once told me herself that she was worried about what would happen to him if she ever let him officially join the Royal Guard. It's why she started teaching him to cook, so she could eventually steer him towards a, well, theoretically, less hazardous occupation." You responded. "And Papyrus... Papyrus already knew. He's not as naive as people think he is. He realized that Undyne was worried about him, but played along with it in the hopes that, one day, he could prove to her that you don't need to kill to protect those who are important to you. That even the worst enemy deserves a chance."  
  
Chara laughed. "Maybe you're right. Her method of dealing with him was a bit underhanded, but it wasn't without reason. In fact, she was absolutely right about him. For all his strength, he was the easiest source of EXP in the entire underground!" Chara mocked, drawing their blade across their neck tauntingly, their grin widening.  
  
Sans' response was instant. His eye blazed brighter than ever with his magic, and Chara was surrounded by bones and blasters. They did not bother to try and dodge, simply smiling smugly at Sans as they accepted their fate for this round.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"Let's see... who should we talk about next..." Chara considered their options. "How about everyone's least favorite actor, Mettaton?"  
  
Sans gave you a curious look.  
  
"Yes, yes, I know. They're messing with my head." You told him, and he just shrugged lazily, accepting that he'd clearly already warned you about whatever Chara was trying to do.  
  
"Mettaton... Greedy, self-centered, careless Mettaton..." Chara crooned. "A monster so caught up in his own desires that he was willing to betray anyone, and everyone, to achieve them..." Chara stepped forward, initiating the battle again. After dodging Sans' opening attack, "Did you know that Mettaton and Napstablook are cousins?"  
  
"What? Really?" You were a bit surprised by this. You knew that Mettaton was fond of Napstablook, but you didn't know they were related. "Wait... How's that possible? Mettaton's a robot. He was built by Alphys."  
  
"Actually, he is a ghost inhabiting a robot. You didn't think Alphys actually created a monster soul to inhabit her robot, did you?" Chara mocked you, and you growled in annoyance. How were you suppose to know?  
  
You paused your attack briefly. "I guess that explains why he likes to ask people if they would smooch a ghost..."  
  
Chara slashed at Sans before backing off. "Indeed. I suppose this means you were also unaware that he abandoned Napstablook. He just took off one day without a word, changed his name to Mettaton, and never thought twice about leaving his dear, **dear** cousin behind with nothing but the snails on their farm... All alone..."  
  
You winced. Napstablook, though shy, was a very sweet ghost. You thought of the times Napstablook would get depressed and put themself down and began to wonder if their confidence issues were not partially due to Mettaton's actions.  
  
"Napstablook isn't the only one Mettaton turned his back on in pursuit of his own goals. His friend, Shyren, was also left behind. I'm sure she appreciated that after losing her sister..." Chara smiled darkly.  
  
You winced again. That was... That was just COLD... "That can't be true..." You glanced over at Sans. His grin was still in place, but you knew him better than to take that at face-value. You'd lived with the guy for a year. You could see the subtle cues that indicated his anxiousness as he continued to fight Chara.  
  
"Oh, but it is. It's also not the end of Mettaton's greed and selfishness..." Chara sneered. "When Frisk journeyed through the underground, he not only betrayed Alphys and her plans to convince them to stay, but he tried to KILL Frisk and take their soul for himself so he could exit the barrier and become a star on the surface. He was willing to leave all the other monsters trapped underground."  
  
Sans' eyes narrowed at Chara. He knew they weren't telling the whole story, and that worried him. They made it sound like Mettaton's actions only benefitted himself, when, in reality, if Mettaton wanted to be a star among humans on the surface, that would mean he opposed the king's plans to reignite the war. Why would Chara obfuscate Asgore's plan to retake the surface unless... Unless you didn't know and they were waiting for the right moment to blindside you with that fact...  
  
Sans' eye sockets widened. What would happen if, when, you found out? How would you react? It was far too late for peace in this timeline. Even if Chara was stopped, was defeated for good, the remaining monsters would never trust humanity. They might even want revenge... And if Chara took out the child they were possessing with their defeat, that would leave your soul as the seventh, and final, nail in humanity's coffin.  
  
Sans spared a glance in your direction as he continued to launch bones towards Chara. You were focused on the child before you. You looked a little pained, a little torn, but you were determined.  
  
Should he warn you?  
  
Should he tell you that, if you could not figure out how to save the time magic wielding child, then all roads lead to humanity's destruction, either by Chara or by monsters?  
  
He didn't want to give you the bad news, but he knew it would be worse learning about it from Chara. Sans opened his mouth to warn you, hesitating as he tried to figure out how to put it into words...  
  
Chara locked eyes with Sans and, seeing his look of realization and fear, smirked triumphantly at him before letting your shield slam them into an array of bones, killing them.  
  
"shit!" Sans cursed as the world faded away again.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You were looking at Sans in confusion.  
  
"what? do i have something on my face?" Sans asked you.  
  
"No. You, uh, cursed at the end of that last attempt."  
  
"okay?" Sans didn't understand why that was a big deal.  
  
"It's just that... you did it just as I knocked them into your attack, killing them again." You gestured towards Chara, who was grinning triumphantly at Sans. You didn't like that look.  
  
Sans didn't like that look, either. Had Chara intentionally let themself be killed so they could Load and prevent him from remembering something important?  
  
"Now, where were we?" Chara purred, and charged forward, forcing the battle to start once again. "How about sweet, timid doctor Alphys..."  
  
"You have got to be kidding me..." You grumbled, thrusting a shield at Chara and missing. "Alphys wouldn't hurt a fly!"  
  
"Perhaps not on purpose, but what she did is much, MUCH worse..." Chara chuckled. "After all, her victims get to live on in eternal torment without the merciful release of death..."  
  
"W-What??" You were caught completely off-guard, your attacks halting.  
  
"Come now, barrier mage. You should know this already. After all, you've already met one of her victims. A certain dripping, amorphous monstrosity you once met on an obstacle course?" Chara prompted, ducking under a laser from one of Sans' blasters.  
  
The memory of a dripping, faceless dog-like monster sprung into your mind. "...Endogeny?"  
  
"That's right! How good of you to remember..." Chara declared patronizingly. "Endogeny is one of several amalgamates created by doctor Alphys, although most weren't nearly so lucky..."  
  
You struggled to remember what Papyrus had told you about Endogeny that day. "Papyrus said... Papyrus said something about Endogeny being multiple dogs melted together... That it was an accident..."  
  
"That is true. Each of the amalgamates is a fusion of several different monsters that have melted together. It is also true that that was not the intended result. However, the road to hell is paved with good intentions..."  
  
You shook your head. "They were... They were all monsters that everyone thought were dead, right? Everyone was happy to have their family members back, even if they were different..."  
  
"True, but did you ever consider what the amalgamates went through? How they felt?" Chara asked.  
  
You paled as your mind speculated how you would feel if you were merged with another person. You tried the shake the disturbing thoughts and resumed your attack.  
  
Chara just chuckled as they continued their assault. "I can see you're thinking about it NOW. Imagine what it would be like to find your body, your mind, melting into another's... Endogeny, at least, seems to be made up entirely of dog monsters... The others, though, are a combination of various different species... Imagine what it must be like for a monster like Moldbygg, which greatly values its personal space, to be inseparably attached to others... Think of what it must be like for them to live, their thoughts always competing, in conflict with one another... To know that they are horrifying freaks, secreted away in some dark, lonely lab... And worst of all, thanks to the Determination Alphys injected them with, they cannot even find freedom in death..."  
  
Your attacks faltered. The thought was horrifying.  
  
"hey. you said it yourself, alphys never meant to hurt anyone." Sans interjected. "they were all monsters on the verge of death... their families volunteered them in the hopes that something could be learned to help better all monsters. no one could have predicted what would happen to them. and besides... didn't she just say that they were able to return to living with their families again? something that you, by the way, ripped away from them when you reset and decided to start killing everyone?"  
  
Chara paused their attack and considered Sans, a look of amusement on their face. "Perhaps. I will give you that. However, that's not the only atrocity that Alphys has committed. Her other atrocity has had much more dire consequences for the underground... consequences which haunt you in your nightmares..."  
  
Sans' eyes widened in surprise before narrowing suspiciously. "just what are you implying?"  
  
Chara smirked. "It's quite simple, Sans. The barrier mage here has already revealed that you have nightmares about the resets, and this timeline marks the first reset since Frisk here gained control of the timeline, so who, or what, do you suppose controlled the timeline before them? Who is the cause of all your restless nights?"  
  
Sans was glaring at Chara, tense, but morbidly curious.  
  
You, too, were tense. _"Flowey..."_ He had mentioned controlling the timeline before Frisk, and given Sans' nightmares about them, it was fairly obvious that Flowey had abused that power, but just how did he relate to Alphys?  
  
"Given the look on your face, I'm going to assume you already know who I'm talking about." Chara spoke to you.  
  
Sans eyed you as you nodded your affirmation. "He... He already admitted as much."  
  
Chara smirked. "What I'm willing to bet that you didn't know, though, is that he was created by doctor Alphys. Another not-so-happy accident..."  
  
"who?" Sans demanded.  
  
Chara grinned at him, clearly pleased to have goaded him into responding. "Why don't you ask your dear 'friend' there?"  
  
Sans' turned to you, though he was careful to avoid fully diverting his attention from Chara. "who's the one who's been messing with the timeline?" Sans tone was harsh.  
  
You shifted awkwardly under his unrelenting gaze. "Sans... I... It's not important right now! Chara, they're... they're trying to mess with our heads, remember?"  
  
**" W h o ? "** Sans tone sent a shiver down your spine and brooked no room for argument.  
  
"F-Flowey... His name is Flowey..." you finally admitted.  
  
Sans' eyes narrowed. The name felt familiar, but he couldn't place it. Why did that name remind him of the color yellow, and Papyrus?  
  
"Or, rather, that's what he's been calling himself. Flowey the flower. He's just as unoriginal as his father." Chara corrected.  
  
"His father? I thought you said that Alphys created him?" You were confused.  
  
"She did, in a way. Although, I suppose it would be more accurate to say that she brought him back from the dead."  
  
You and Sans stared at Chara in stunned confusion as they twirled their knife idly, letting that sink in, before elaborating.  
  
"To fully comprehend what happened, you must understand how monster funerals work. When a monster dies, it is traditional to spread their dust over something they loved, so that their essence may, in a sense, live on within it."  
  
You thought of the action figures in Papyrus' dust. Is that why they were there? You had been trying to avoid thinking of the hastily constructed memorial, but Sans must have been the one to make it, and he must have brought out Papyrus' beloved action figures to his dust as well... He was always so proud of his collection...  
  
"This is mostly symbolic, but what would happen if the object coated in dust gained the will, the Determination, to live?" Chara proposed, pausing dramatically. "What you get is a creature with the memories and abilities of a monster, the Determination of a human, and no soul or conscience to restrict them."  
  
Sans seemed appalled, and you were similarly stunned. "You're saying that Flowey doesn't have a soul??"  
  
"That's right, barrier mage. He was made that way, intentionally. Alphys' experiments on the amalgamates were an attempt to give monster souls the determination necessary to exist beyond their death, like a human's or, to a lesser degree, a boss monster's. The idea was that, while monster souls are much weaker than human souls, if they could be collected upon death, then, eventually, enough might be gathered to break the barrier. The problem is that a monster cannot absorb another monster's soul, and a human cannot absorb another human's soul. The solution was to create a being that was physically neither human nor monster that could act as a vessel for both. Doctor Alphys' choice of vessel was the first flower to bloom in Asgore's garden, the throne room. The place where the combined might of Asriel and myself perished..."  
  
Silence reined heavily.  
  
After several long moments, Sans finally spoke. "so, you're telling us that the one who's been using time magic to torment the underground is the soulless form of the prince of all monsters?"  
  
"That's right." Chara grinned darkly. "I'm not the only one that coward has betrayed. In fact, he's probably up ahead right now trying to get his greedy little mitts on enough power to wrest control of the timeline from me. Isn't that right, barrier mage?"  
  
You didn't respond verbally, but the look on your face was more than enough to give away the fact that Chara was right.  
  
"god dammit... so even if we stop this freak for good, we'll go right back to that flower tormenting us?" Sans cursed.  
  
"Not if we can free Frisk!" you reminded him.  
  
"again, easier said than done. and even if we succeed, there's no guarantee they'll have the determination left to take control of the timeline after what they've been put through..." Sans responded, a hopeless look coming over his face.  
  
"There's no 'if's about it, Sans. You don't know Frisk like I do. They're an amazing kid, and there's nothing they can't do, no hurdle they can't overcome, especially when it comes to helping their friends." You told Sans with utmost confidence.  
  
Sans smiled softly at you, his mood slightly buoyed by your confidence. "i hope you're right."  
  
Chara scoffed, gesturing to you with their knife. "How cruel of you, barrier mage, getting his hopes up like that. I've already overcome Frisk, and I have absolutely NO intention of letting them go. It's too late for them, and now that I have their power at my command, it's too late for the rest of this world. You should just save yourself the time and suffering and surrender.  Give in to the inevitable."  
  
"Not on your life." You snapped back, then summoned your magic and reinitiated the battle.  
  
Chara just laughed. Their triumphant grin never faltered, even as they fell to the combined might of you and Sans once again.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Chara stretched languidly after Loading once again. They eyed you smugly. "So, you still want to fight after you've heard some of the terrible things monsters are capable of, do you?"  
  
You scoffed. "Please. Most of the things you've told me have either been accidental results of well meaning efforts, or caused by things the person can't help. I'm well aware that monsters aren't perfect. If this was some attempt to convince me that they DESERVE what you're doing to them, than it was doomed to fail. Nobody deserves this." You asserted.  
  
"Oh? Nobody?" They asked. "So, you would say the same for humans, yes? That they don't deserve to be wiped out, despite their atrocities against monsters and each other?"  
  
"Of course not. There are a lot of terrible people in the world, yes, but there are a lot of good people, as well. To condemn all of humanity for the actions of some would be appalling."  
  
Chara smiled wickedly, and you instantly felt like you'd just fallen into a trap.  
  
You jumped slightly, startled as a bone attack flew towards Chara. You glanced at Sans, surprised. He usually waited for Chara to initiate the fight. The only time you'd seen him start it was when Chara taunted the two of you... He was glaring at Chara, an anxious look on his face and nervous sweat beading his brow.  
  
"don't waste your breath on this kid. they're trying to mess with your head." Sans warned you again, launching another attack. However, this time, he didn't stop there. "you're right. we're not perfect. we're trapped, and despondent, and **desperate**... in the end, though, all we want is the chance to be free."  
  
The sense that there was some hidden meaning behind Chara's words increased a hundred-fold at Sans' own reaction to them.  
  
Chara cackled at Sans' warning as they continued to dodge his attacks. "That's right. Monsters are **desperate**. Desperate enough to  slaughter innocent children in their bid for freedom!"  
  
"W-What?!" You gaped in shock. "N-No... You're lying. They wouldn't..." you protested weakly. Much as you didn't want to believe that they would actually kill children, you already knew that at least some monsters had tried to kill Frisk. You had nearly forgotten that after you'd grown so close to them.  
  
"They already have." Chara informed you gleefully as they continued to dodge Sans' attacks. "And all at the behest at the **benevolent** King Asgore Dreemurr..." They purred mockingly.  
  
You winced, hard, and Chara continued.  
  
"Seven human souls were used to create the barrier, and seven human souls are required to break it. After Asriel and I perished, Asgore declared war on humanity. He decreed that any human to fall into the underground was to be killed, and their soul captured. Once seven are obtained, he plans to absorb the souls and destroy the barrier. Then..." Chara paused as they dodged a particularly nasty attack from Sans. "Then, using the god-like power granted to him by the seven human souls, the annihilation of humanity will begin..."  
  
"No..." You didn't want to believe it. Asgore was a gentle soul. Sure, he was perfectly capable of fighting when he had to, but the idea that he would condemn children to death, and plan the utter destruction of humanity... It just didn't make sense to you. You looked to Sans, hoping he would deny the accusations, but he did not. He just continued to fight.  
  
"He already has six souls. While their ages varied greatly, they were all still children. Children who had  their souls ripped from their bodies by the King of Monsters..." Chara continued to taunt you.  
  
Sans was saying something to you now, but you hardly noticed. Your head was swimming.  
  
Six human souls.  
  
All of them children.  
  
Murdered.  
  
Imprisoned.  
  
Unable to move on.  
  
Monsters had been trapped in these caverns for hundreds of years.  
  
How long had those children's souls been trapped down here?  
  
Waiting to be used as fuel for humanity's destruction...  
  
Asgore...  
  
Sweet, gentle Asgore...  
  
You thought you'd **known** him...  
  
You'd been **so sure** that he was still the kind-hearted monster you remembered...  
  
Is this why Toriel had left him?  
  
Had she seen this dark, murderous side of him and fled in disgust?  
  
You weren't sure how much time you spent dazed by this information. It felt simultaneously like minutes and hours. Your eyes drifted to where Chara and Sans were battling. Sans looked absolutely exhausted while Chara looked untouched. A part of your mind told you that if you didn't step in, Chara would win soon.  
  
The rest of your mind asked what was the point?  
  
You had no idea how to help Frisk, and if you and Sans stopped Chara without saving Frisk, then monsters would have even more reason to want humanity dead. There would be no fixing this.  
  
Without Frisk, humanity was doomed either way.  
  
So why bother resisting?  
  
Sans was panting heavily now, sweat dripping down his skull. You could see his magic beginning to falter as he drove himself to the limit.  
  
It reminded you of how you felt when Undyne and Papyrus were training you to use your magic.  
  
Papyrus...  
  
Your soul jolted.  
  
How could you forget?  
  
Papyrus was sweet and innocent. Well, innocent-ish. He had helped you through the darkest moments of your life. He would not want you to give up. He, everyone, the world was counting on you.  
  
Until Frisk was completely beyond saving, there was still hope, no matter how slim.  
  
You had to keep fighting.  
  
Your eyes focused on the battle before you.  
  
Chara was darting in to attack.  
  
Sans stumbled.  
  
The blade came down.  
  
***CRACK***  
  
A splatter of red.  
  
Sans' eyes widened in shock. In the moment before the blow struck, you had Blinked in front of him. He could see the blood-spatter across the ground and on Chara's clothes and face. Their knife dripped with your essence as they gripped it tightly in their hand, a furious look on their face.  
  
"You,  IDIOT!" They snarled, raising their knife and stabbing you again, causing you to spit up more blood as you cried out in pain, collapsing to your knees. "All you needed to do was stay out of this for ONE MORE SECOND!"  
  
Chara stabbed you again. And again. And again. Over and over into your chest and shoulders.  
  
You collapsed forward, knocking Chara over as they slipped in the pool of your blood, and gripping their legs with what little remaining strength you had.  
  
"...S-Saaanss..." you gurgled out, using your dead weight on Chara's legs to help keep them pinned.  
  
Sans didn't need to be told twice. "Thanks, pal..." he murmured to you as Chara continued to struggle against you, stabbing you anywhere they could reach in their desperation.  
  
There was a glow of blue as Sans put everything he had left into this last attack. You and Chara were then impaled on his bone attack before being finished off with a blaster.  
  
You were so far gone, you didn't feel a thing.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Chara was breathing heavily, their fury palpable as they locked their eyes on you.  
  
"wow. they look pretty mad." Sans commented idly.  
  
"I guess they don't like having victory yanked out from under them at the very last second." you commented back, still reeling slightly from the remembered pain.  
  
"You..." Chara growled at you, shaking with rage.  
  
You huffed. "I'll admit, you almost succeeded in making me give up. Almost. The thing is, while both humans and monsters have done some abominable things, they both deserve the chance to live. It's true, I've seen some horrible things in my many lifetimes, but you forget, I've also seen how great people can be when they come together. I've witnessed first-hand what can happen if humans and monsters give each other a chance. And that chance is something worth fighting for." You told them with absolute conviction.  
  
Chara just glared at you silently for a few long moments before finally speaking, their tone dead-serious. "Very well, barrier mage. If that's how it's going to be, than I suppose playtime is over." they aimed their knife at you. "It's time I stop holding back and show you what happens to people who get in my way..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp... You just HAD to go and piss off the crazy murder child. Chara's done playing around with you. It's time to get serious. 
> 
> Of course, that's a pretty dire note to be leaving off on right on Christmas Eve... Good thing for you guys, I've got a little Christmas ficlet I did for a writing prompt that's much more light-hearted! It's tentatively set in this story's universe on the monster's first Christmas above ground. (So, you won't be seeing any mention of Reader, as she didn't move to Ebott City until afterwards.) If you're curious, feel free to click this link and check it out:  
> [The Problem With Gift Giving](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8982472)
> 
> You can also check out the rest of the collection here!  
> [Undertale Holiday 2016 Fic Collection Challenge!](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/Undertale_Holiday_2016_Fic_Collection_Challenge)


	56. Death Waltz

Chara stretched briefly, allowing their neck to crack before running forward. The now familiar feeling of your souls being exposed marking the start of the battle. Your soul glowed brightly, the red of Determination nearly engulfing the entire thing, with only a tiny swirl of emerald green shining at the center.  
  
Chara quickly jumped and dodged their way through Sans' brutal starting attack while you did your best to trip them up. You were only somewhat surprised when they altered their course and came at you, instead. You leaped out of the way, throwing up a shield and forcing them back a few steps. Sans took the opportunity to attack Chara while they were distracted going after you, catching them in the side with a blunt bone attack. Chara grunted and stumbled briefly, but recovered quickly and began to retreat again as Sans' follow-up attacks forced them back away from you.  
  
"you okay, pal?" Sans asked you, keeping his attention focused on Chara.  
  
"Yeah. Thanks for the back-up." You thanked him, remaining focused as well.  
  
Chara scowled at the two of you before refocusing their gaze on Sans. As angry as they were at you at the moment, attacking you left them too exposed to attacks from Sans. They would have to take him down first. Once he was down, you would not be able to stop them. The only thing you'd be able to do is run. And, one way or another, they'd find you and make you pay.  
  
Their blade glowed as it sliced through the barrier you summoned to try and disrupt their movements. They slipped past Sans' attack and slashed at him. Their attack was quick, but lacked power. You both knew that they'd never be able to hit Sans this early in the battle. The entire point of their attack was to force Sans to keep attentive and moving. To wear him out to the point of exhaustion. Each round you failed to force Chara into the barrage of attacks from Sans was one round closer to destruction.  
  
You focused. Sans' next attack would feature a mix of the blue and white bones. The white ones were solid and had to be dodged, and the blue ethereal ones would cause a magical shock to your system if you moved while they passed through you. You summoned a shield and attempted to slam it into Chara as a blue bone attack was passing through them. Chara was prepared for this, throwing their arm out quickly and allowing your shield to break upon their knife while they stayed still.  
  
They were not, however, prepared for the small shield you slammed into the back of their legs a moment later, causing them to fall backwards and be shocked by the blue bone attack for the movement.  
  
Chara cried out in pain and anger, snarling when the white bone hit their prone form, causing them to skid across the floor from the force of the impact. Chara recovered quickly enough, returning to their feet in time for the next wave of attacks.  
  
They twisted and dodged, lunging at Sans and forcing him to dodge. Sans encased their soul in blue magic and threw them back towards the other side of the hall. Chara skidded to a halt on their feet, eyes locked on Sans, their soul flaring palpably with their Determination.  
  
Sans summoned a thick wave of bones, and Chara quickly jumped onto the debris of broken pillars that was beginning to litter the battlefield. They ran along the debris above the sea of bones, leaping from piece to piece ever closer. You summoned a barrier between them and their next landing point, but they managed to jam their knife into it without shattering it, and used it to launch themself over the barrier to the next platform. Sans was forced to end his attack to avoid Chara's next slash before they dodged back again to avoid you slamming them with your shield magic.  
  
Blasters began to materialize along the sides of the room, forcing Chara to dodge back and forth. You managed to trip them up a bit, causing them to be clipped by one of the blasts, but it wasn't nearly enough to end this fight.  
  
Sans was beginning to sweat now. That wasn't a good sign. He gripped Chara with his blue magic and slammed them into the ground. Chara immediately leaped up, against the flow of gravity as several bones erupted from the ground. Before they could land, Sans raised his hand and slammed them into the ceiling. Chara started to leap downwards, but quickly aborted the tactic and dove to the side to avoid the bones as they spotted your barrier blocking their initial path.  
  
This happened a few times on various surfaces. You even tried to completely block them in with a barrier, but they leaped with their blade at the ready, avoiding most of the damage from the bones.  
  
Once Chara was back on the ground, they looked a bit worse-for-wear, but just as determined as ever, if not more-so. They quickly closed the gap and took another swipe at Sans before being pushed back again.  
  
Sans began summoning blasters again, but this time more rapidly and from any direction. Chara weaved carefully between their blasts, always one step ahead.  
  
You summoned a shield in Chara's path, but they must have sensed it because they twisted around it, using it to block several blasts before you brought it down.  
  
"God dammit..." you cursed. You'd been more of a help to them there than a hindrance.  
  
Sans was kind enough not to rub that in your face. Or maybe he knew that antagonizing the one who was trying to help him wasn't the most productive use of his time. Either way, he was starting to sweat profusely and looked pretty tired. He did not give up, though.  
  
Sans' attacks became erratic and unpredictable. Well, they would have been unpredictable if you and Chara hadn't already seen these exact sequences numerous times already.  
  
You continued to attack Chara with your shields, unable to push them fully into Sans' attacks, but gradually chipping away at their health.  
  
After several more rounds, Chara went to dodge a blaster attack, but their leg, injured in an earlier attack, gave out, causing them to collapse and take the full blast.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Chara's face was hard and stony.  
  
"huh... that look... that's the look of someone who's died a lot. And I mean a **lot**. heh. you know, you could save yourself a lot of frustration by just giving up?" Sans suggested, taunting Chara.  
  
Chara's only response was to reaffirm their grip on their knife.  
  
"no? i didn't think you'd go for that." Sans shrugged.  
  
Chara ran forward, initiating the battle again.  
  
The three of you continued to fight, round after round. You grew more and more desperate as the fight wore on and you failed to knock Chara into Sans attacks again and again. There were a few close calls, but Chara managed to avoid Sans' attacks by a hair's breadth each time you caught them off guard.  
  
When Sans became desperate enough to launch his final devastating attack, Chara was still unscathed.  
  
You threw everything you had into disrupting them. If you failed...  
  
Chara dodged, twisted, weaved and leapt through you and Sans' combined attacks. Their moves as smooth and confident as if this was some choreographed dance with death. They twirled around the spiral of blasters, cutting down your shields as you tried to block their path, trip them, shove them into the attack... anything!  
  
You saw the last blaster fire before Sans' magic fizzled out. Without a moment's hesitation, Chara dove at Sans, knife at the ready and glittering dangerously.  
  
Sans dodge the attack, but Chara didn't back off this time. They knew Sans was on his last legs. They knew he didn't have the strength remaining to keep this up for long.  
  
_"Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!"_ Your attempts to shield Sans were ineffective, as you were pretty worn out from constantly creating new shields, and Chara just kept cleaving them apart as soon as you'd summon them.  
  
There was a rock. A piece of debris from one of the now broken pillars. Sans stumbled...  
  
...And disappeared. He reappeared a few seconds later about twenty feet away, swaying on his feet as he barely managed to successfully shortcut with his critically low magic. He had a wild, terrified look on his face, and you knew why. Attempting such a thing with so little magic at his disposal... He was lucky it didn't become a one-way trip to the void.  
  
Chara gave him no quarter, though, and instantly darted towards him the moment he reappeared.  
  
Sans was in no state to dodge their attacks anymore. He turned and saw Chara charging him, a look of utter determination on their face. All hope was gone from Sans' eyes as he watched his death swiftly approach.  
  
***CRACK***  
  
Chara did not hesitate to slash through your abdomen as you Blinked in between them and Sans before leaping to the side to go around you.  
  
You cried out in pain, but the desperate Determination flowing through you allowed you to ignore the your agony and grapple onto Chara from behind, using your greater size to physically retrain them.  
  
"Let go! You're cheating!" Chara snarled angrily as they thrashed against you, but you held on with everything you had. " I said let go, you dirty cheater!"  
  
Chara howled with rage as they tried to free themself.  
  
There was a low, breathless chuckle.  
  
"heh. see you on the other side, kid."  
  
Chara paused their struggle to look up at Sans. His eyes were dark and his hand was held high towards an immense blaster. The air around him seemed to shimmer... It took you a moment to realize that the shimmering particles were actually dust beginning to scatter from his form.  
  
Despite the pouring blood and agonizing pain, or perhaps because of it, Sans' form began to blur before your eyes and instead, a white, inverted heart came into focus.  
  
*** SANS**  
  
*** 1 ATK**  
  
*** 1 DEF**  
  
*** 0.00001 / 1 HP**  
  
*** He won't let your sacrifice go to waste, even if it kills him.**  
  
You watched as Sans' soul pulsed in time with the charging blaster, cracks layering themselves all over the surface as he literally put everything he had left into the attack.  
  
*** 0.0000001 / 1 HP**  
  
Power was building in the blaster's jaws.  
  
*** 0.0000000001 / 1 HP**  
  
You stared in stunned anticipation. You barely noticed Chara's renewed struggles.  
  
*** 0.0000000000001 / 1 HP**  
  
Sans was barely holding together now. The air was thick with dirt being kicked into the air by the crackling magic, and dust crumbling off Sans in thick waves. If he didn't attack soon, he might crumble before he got the chance. He couldn't, though. Not yet. He had to be certain this one attack would do it. He wouldn't be getting another shot.  
  
*** 0.0000000000000001 / 1 HP**  
  
Chara was lurching and fighting desperately against your hold. It was growing harder to keep them still. You'd already lost so much blood. _"Hurry..."_  
  
*** 0.000000000000000000001 / 1 HP**  
  
That was it. Anymore and his efforts would be completely wasted. He just prayed that it was enough.  
  
The jaws of the blaster widened and the beam erupted from its jaws. Aimed straight at you and Chara.  
  
In that brief moment before the beam hit, you saw Sans scatter into dust, the blaster, which had only just barely launched its attack, fading with him.  
  
Your vision was enveloped with searing white, and then everything faded.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Sans glanced at you as you let out a shuddering gasp. "you okay there, pal?"  
  
You glanced at Sans, eyes wide and more than a little terrified of how close that last attempt had been. _"Should I tell Sans? Should I warn him? ... No. There's no point. It's not like he can change up his attacks when he can't remember which ones he used previously. Besides, Chara would probably be able to handle whatever he could throw at them, now. The only thing telling him will do is destroy his hope."_  
  
You gave Sans a shaky smile. "I'm fine. Things just got a little intense, there."  
  
Chara scoffed, and you tensed. "Not going to tell him that we ALL died that time?"  
  
Sans cocked his brow at Chara. "so... we won?"  
  
Chara growled in annoyance. "It was a pyrrhic victory."  
  
Sans shrugged and smiled at them. "it's still a victory."  
  
You sighed in relief that Sans didn't seem put-off by the news, although you didn't think he'd be so nonchalant about it if he actually remembered what happened.  
  
"Whatever." Chara pouted, then began their attack.  
  
The fight was much the same as the last one. No matter how you tried to change up your attacks, you couldn't seem to stop Chara. You suspected they wouldn't fall for you Blinking between them and Sans again, either. Either way, you couldn't afford to let the battle get to that point and find out. You had to find a way to stop them sooner, and, clearly your barrier magic alone wasn't going to cut it.  
  
You watched as Chara nimbly jumped out of the way of Sans' bone attacks as they thrust up from the ground at them.  
  
Your muscles coiled and you focused.  
  
***CRACK***  
  
The moment you reappeared next to Chara you dove forward, tackling them back into the sharp bones they'd just dodged.  
  
"AAH!" They cried out in surprise as the two of you were skewered.  
  
You barely caught sight of Sans' wide eyes before the world Loaded once again.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Chara was huffing, their anger barely in-check.  
  
"huh... that look... that's the look of someone who's died a lot. And I mean a **lot**. heh. you know, you could save yourself a lot of frustration by just giving up?" Sans suggested, taunting Chara.  
  
Chara growled, launching immediately into their attack.  
  
Chara went through the motions of the fight, dodging attacks and swinging their knife at Sans, but unlike the previous times, they kept an eye out for not only your shields, but on you as well.  
  
You watched carefully for an opportunity, and about halfway through the fight, it presented itself. Chara was forced to dodge backwards to avoid a blaster attack, and the beam briefly cut off their view of you. Chara growled and stabbed you in the leg when you appeared behind them and grappled them. You cried out in pain, but it was short-lived as you pulled them backwards into the next beam.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The Load was barely finished before Chara was charging forward to attack again. It quickly became apparent that they would not let you out of their sight this time, even if it meant making riskier moves.  
  
However, this time it was your turn to play mind games. Occasionally throughout the fight, you would Blink to another part of the room. Each time, Chara jerked, expecting you to appear next to them and grapple them.  
  
Despite their increased distraction, they still managed to avoid every attack, though. While the tactic kept them guessing, it became apparent that you'd have to make a real move to actually end the fight.  
  
Sans was using his blue magic to slam Chara into various surfaces, forcing them to jump away to avoid the bone attack thrusting out towards them. When he slammed Chara into the ground again, you acted.  
  
***CRACK***  
  
Chara leaped to avoid Sans' attack, hearing the sound of your teleportation magic again as they did so. However, they were immediately crushed beneath your weight as you landed on top of them, having teleported into the air above them.  
  
The two of you never fully hit the floor before the bone spikes thrust up and impaled you both.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
All the resets after that followed a similar pattern. With your barriers alone clearly not enough to stop Chara, you began using your Blink ability and size advantage to grapple them directly into Sans' attacks. The pain was excruciating, but you kept at it. You had to.  
  
Sans eyed you with concern. "you okay, pal?"  
  
No. You weren't okay. You had lost track of how many resets had gone by. They were all starting to blur together. Each one bringing with it a wave of agony as you sacrificed yourself to prevent Chara from killing Sans.  
  
Chara was staring you down, the look on their face was smug and determined. They could see you faltering.  
  
_"They've been dying to Sans' attacks for a lot longer than I have, so how can they still be so determined?!"_ You lamented.  
  
The determination in your soul was fading a little more with each reset. You saw the look of triumph spread across Chara's face as you realized that, eventually, you would reach your limit and they would ultimately succeed.  
  
"human??" Sans called out to you, very concerned now.  
  
"It's not enough..." you murmured, your quiet voice carrying in the silent hallway.  
  
"what's not enough?" Sans asked.  
  
"My determination. I... Alphys told me once that, though a soul might take on other traits at times, it can never completely change from its dominant trait. It doesn't matter how determined I am... I'll always have that spec of kindness at the center of my soul... And, so, I'll never be a match for them..." you quietly admitted, feeling utterly hopeless.  
  
Chara was smiling darkly at you, seeming to relish your emotional defeat.  
  
Sans let out a mirthless laugh. "you may be right, but even if we are destined to lose here, i don't regret the fact that you have a kind soul."  
  
"You don't?" you questioned. "But, if my soul's trait was Determination, then we might be able to win!"  
  
"true." Sans shrugged. "but it was that kindness of yours that drove you to become friends with monsters in the first place, isn't it? and if not for you being friends with us, you might not even be here trying to help right now." Sans speculated.  
  
"I... I don't know."  
  
Sans smiled at you. "either way, i'm glad you're here. i can tell from the look on your face that you've already endured a lot trying to help us, and... well, it's just nice to know that there's at least one human who is willing to go through so much for us."  
  
You felt soothed by Sans' words, but something about it didn't sit quite right with you. "Thank you, Sans. I appreciate it, but I'm not the only human who's been to hell and back for the sake of monsters..."  
  
Your eyes drifted to Chara, or rather, Frisk's body possessed by Chara. Somewhere in there was a brilliant, loving child who had traveled the length of the underground, facing adversity the entire way for the sake of finding a peaceful solution to the plights they themself faced, as well as those of the monsters that lived here. You couldn't think of a single person you knew who could make that kind of journey, let alone at such a tender young age. And then taking on the responsibilities of the ambassador between monsters and humans and helping bring peace between the two races? Frisk was truly an amazing child. It was hard to imagine that anyone could match their determination...  
  
Your eyes widened.  
  
"That's it..." You stared, wide-eyed at Chara, whose smile faltered slightly at your look of dawning realization. "That's the solution to our problem."  
  
"what is?" Sans asked, confused and somewhat hopeful.  
  
"In order to go toe-to-toe with Chara, we need someone who can match their Determination."  
  
Sans' hopeful look dropped. "that's great and all, but if you were hoping to make a quick trip outside to fetch someone like that, i'm afraid it's no use. nothing can exit the barrier."  
  
"We don't need to go anywhere. They're already here." You smirked slightly, proud of yourself.  
  
Chara, realizing what you were implying, began to laugh like you'd just told the greatest joke in the world.  
  
"... look, pal, i think i get what you're saying, but it's no use. they're already gone." Sans tried to put down your idea gently.  
  
"They're not **gone** , Sans." you argued. "Their time control powers are linked to their soul, just as my barrier magic is linked to mine. That means they're in there somewhere. If we can reach them, if we can get them to fight back against Chara's control..."  
  
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! That's rich!" Chara laughed. "Frisk has already lost! There's no fight left in them anymore. They're nothing but a lifeless puppet for me to control. They can't help you, now!"  
  
"That shows how little you really know about Frisk! They're one of the most amazing people I know, and they'd never stand for this!" you snapped back. "Frisk! I know you're in there somewhere! You need to fight back! You can't let Chara win! Everyone's counting on you, Frisk! You can do it, I know you can!"  
  
Chara huffed in annoyance. "You're wasting your breath, and I'm losing my patience. Let's get this over with so I can finally kill you." They brandished their knife and began their attack.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The repetition of battle, death, and Load resumed as you continued to plead with Frisk.  
  
Despite your pleading and encouragement, though, nothing seemed to change. Chara was growing wise to your previous tactics, and several times nearly evaded you when you Blinked to them to drag them into Sans' attacks. The idea that, one of these attempts, they'd successfully dodge your attack and you'd just wind up getting yourself killed was terrifying. After all, without you to change things up, they'd have no problem dodging Sans' attacks now, so even one screw up on your side of things would mean the end.  
  
"Frisk, please... You can't give up. Not now." You begged desperately. "Not now that we know what you were struggling with this entire time. I'm so sorry you had to face this alone, but we're here now. We want to help you. You just needed to stay determined..."  
  
Chara was scowling as they dodged Sans' latest attack, having already expressed their annoyance at your continued pleas to Frisk.  
  
Your own determination was at an all-time low since you joined the fight. You weren't going to be able to endure this for much longer. The only thing that kept you from giving up already was the fear of what would happen if- ...when... Chara inevitably won.  
  
Your soul twisted in dread as you realized that you were running out of time to stop Chara on this attempt. If you didn't act soon, it would be too late. You tried to steel yourself to endure the pain of death once again...  
  
Chara suddenly stumbled, tripping over one of your low-lying barriers when they failed to jump fully over it. Your eyes widened in surprise as the small slip-up sent them tumbling into the worst of Sans' current attack.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You blinked in surprise at Chara once the Load was finished. It had been a while since they'd last tripped up, and you'd almost forgotten that they didn't always dodge perfectly.  
  
"Wipe that look off your face! So, I tripped! It happens!" They pouted childishly.  
  
Sans just eyed the two of you curiously while waiting for the next fight to begin.  
  
Chara didn't keep him waiting long, as they jumped right into it.  
  
That was weird. Chara had seemed particularly embarrassed and angry over their last death. Maybe they didn't like the idea of you remembering that they weren't a perfect killing machine, because that might give you hope? Well... that wouldn't be a problem, as you were painfully aware that it would take more than a little slip-up to tip things in your favor...  
  
...  
  
But what about a lot of little slip-ups?  
  
As the battle wore on, you began to notice something... The margin by which Chara dodged you and Sans' attacks had grown narrower. So narrow at some points that the attacks even managed to clip them. Previously, they were going the entire fight without taking a single hit, but now... Well, it wasn't enough to end the fight this round, but when you Blinked directly in front of Chara and grappled them into Sans' blaster attack, you saw their muscles coil to dodge away from you and then... just sort of seize up. Your surprise barely registered before the blast took the two of you out.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"what's got your **goat** , kid?" Sans asked Chara, taking in their anger and frustration.  
  
"S-Shut up!" Chara shouted at him.  
  
You and Sans exchanged a look. Something was definitely up.  
  
"They seem pretty angry at how sloppy they were in that last run." You explained to Sans, then gave Chara an appraising look. "You seemed... a bit distracted..."  
  
"I SAID SHUT UP!" Chara lunged forward, starting the next fight.  
  
You were watching Chara like a hawk this time. Their mistakes grew more pronounced. A stumble here, a jump that was too short there, a step briefly in the wrong direction... As the fight neared its end, they were battered and bruised, and panting nearly as much as Sans was.  
  
Just before you could summon another shield to knock them down from the debris onto Sans' bone attack, there was a flicker of red and their limbs jerked, causing them to fall into the sea of bones on their own.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Chara was trembling with rage now. They glared at you when they saw you focused on them, fully alert.  
  
"what's got your **goat** , kid?" Sans asked Chara.  
  
You let out a short bark of laughter. "They're faltering." You said. "The last two attempts were much worse than the previous ones, and I think I know why..."  
  
Sans glanced at you curiously, and Chara growled, one of their hands idly rubbing at their chest as if it was sore.  
  
"oh? why's that?"  
  
"Because fighting against three of us is a lot harder than fighting against two..."  
  
Sans eyed you, briefly confused, but quickly realizing what you were implying. "you don't mean the kid they're possessing...?"  
  
"I do. Frisk is fighting back." You stated confidently.  
  
Chara huffed in annoyance. "So what if they are? I already overcame them before. Suppressing them again is a simple enough matter. You two are just background noise, really. It doesn't matter how many time I lose to you, so long as I control Frisk, I will win eventually."  
  
You smirked. "Therein lies the catch... Without Frisk under your heel, you're powerless. So long as Frisk continues to fight, than there's still hope. And, knowing Frisk, once they set their mind to something, there's no stopping them."  
  
"We'll see about that..." Chara scoffed.  
  
"so... it seems our future rests on their shoulders." Sans commented, eyes closed. "our only hope is if this kid can free themself of chara's possession." Sans looked up at Chara, his left eye blazing. "sounds to me like it's in our best interests to help distract this brat so they can do that."  
  
Sans summoned an attack and began the battle.  
  
When your souls came into view this time, the difference in Chara's was easy to spot. Their deep red soul still pulsed malevolently, but there in the center, peaking through the darkness, was a brilliant, glimmering red.  
  
Some of your own determination was renewed at the sight. "Come on, Frisk! You can do it! You can fight them off!" you encouraged.  
  
"you gotta stay determined, kid. we'll be with you every step of the way." Sans winked. "even if i am **bone-tired.** "  
  
The bright red soul seemed to pulse in response to Sans' pun.  
  
Chara winced, then started their attack with a snarl.  
  
"Gee... It seems Chara didn't really like your pun, Sans." You knocked Chara into one of Sans' attacks with your shield, though it wasn't enough to kill them. Then, you smirked. "Got any more?"  
  
Sans smirked back. "i've got a ton. a **skele-ton!** "  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You and Sans continued to throw puns and bad jokes back and forth as you fought an increasingly distracted Chara. Even Loading wasn't enough to stop it, as Sans was quick to catch on to Chara's frustration when you started prompting him with puns.  
  
Chara was panting and clutching their chest. Frisk's soul was no longer engulfed by Chara's, and though they were currently still attached, it was easy to see the two separate souls now.  
  
Despite the Load, Sans didn't need an explanation to see exactly what was going on.  
  
"it's over, chara. we all know you're losing control of the kid. it's just a matter of time before they completely break free of your influence. the gracious thing to do would be to admit when you're beaten."  
  
Chara panted angrily. "Never... I just need a few minutes to rein them back in. Then, you're dead..."  
  
Sans shrugged nonchalantly, readying a bone attack. "if you think we're going to allow you the time to do that, then you're crazier than i thought."  
  
Chara hissed, realizing that Sans was right. They tensed, knife held tightly, and then... booked it for the doorway on the far side of the Hall of Judgement.  
  
***CRACK***  
  
You Blinked to the doorway, cutting off their escape and causing Chara to skid to a halt.  
  
"Don't you know anything about green magic? There's no running away..." You told them smugly.  
  
Chara looked between you and Sans on either side of them. They were trapped.  
  
Sans began his attack, forcing Chara to dodge. Chara kept eyeing you warily, but you seemed content to guard the door. With Frisk struggling against their every movement, Sans was more than a match for them now.  
  
And so it was with great surprise that they found you tackling them to the ground, having snuck up on them after granting them the false sense of security by not attacking. Sans had watched the whole thing, and had been careful not to hit you with his attacks as you quietly approached and pinned Chara face-down to the ground.  
  
Chara was a battered, bleeding mess at this point. They panted heavily as they struggled beneath you. They reached for their knife, only for Sans to knock it out of reach. Their soul, intertwined with Frisk's, floated just above the ground a few inches in front of their face.  
  
"It's over. We beat you. Now, let Frisk **go.** " You ordered Chara.  
  
You tensed as you felt the now familiar magic of a Load press down on you... and then it stopped.  
  
"What? No... no No NO **NO** NO!" Chara cried out, struggling against you as their Load failed.  
  
"man, you're one stubborn kid." Sans told them as he approached.  
  
Chara continued to scrabble madly at the floor, and you could see Frisk's soul struggling to free itself from several inky red tendrils coming from Chara's soul that seemed to have burrowed into their own.  
  
"looks like they could use a hand there." Sans gestured to the struggling souls.  
  
"I thought you said you didn't know any way to separate them?"  
  
"i didn't. not while one soul was completely engulfing the other. this, however, is a different story..."  
  
Sans knelt down by the two souls and encased them in his blue magic, holding them still. He then summoned a small, sharp bone, and carefully stabbed it into the first tendril.  
  
Chara screamed. You were so startled by the sound, they nearly managed to buck you off, but you readjusted yourself to strengthen your hold on them. Despite everything you all had been through, you'd never heard Chara scream out like this. The sound caused your soul to clench in horror at the knowledge that you were at least partially responsible for that sound.  
  
_"Ignore it... It's necessary... Think of what they've done to Frisk... What they've done to Papyrus... What they've done to everyone... They cannot be allowed to continue controlling Frisk, and if this is the only way to make them release them..."_ You told yourself, trying to ignore Chara's screams and cries and struggling as Sans stabbed the bone into each tendril until it released its hold.  
  
Finally, the last tendril withdrew, and with a sharp gasp Chara, or rather Frisk's body, passed out. Sans' blue magic faded, and Frisk's soul returned to their body.  
  
A sharp movement caught your attention and your head shot up to see Sans topple backwards with a startled shout, his own soul pulled from his body and Chara's soul swiftly following him, tendrils arching towards the fragile white soul...  
  
Sans' wide-eyed sockets focused on the scene above him as he hit the floor. There was his soul, exposed above him, and not even two inches away was Chara's soul, tendrils writhing angrily as it smacked into a shimmering white barrier, which had formed completely around it. His eye sockets turned to where you sat above the still unconscious Frisk, your hand extended and your eyes wide with desperation and surprise.  
  
You watched as Chara's soul beat fruitlessly against your barrier. It seemed that without the leeched power of another human soul, and the physical form to concentrate the attack, Chara was completely powerless to break your barrier, despite their LOVE and magic.  
  
You let out a shuddering breath of relief.  
  
"hah... hah..." Sans panted as he, too, came down from his brief scare. "thanks, pal. i don't know what **possessed me** to think standing that close to them was a good idea..."  
  
"N-No problem, Sans. Just **exorcism** more caution next time." You chuckled back breathlessly as you came down from the brief adrenaline rush.  
  
"please don't let there be a next time..." Sans groaned, flopping back onto the ground, exhausted.  
  
There was a groan underneath you, and you looked down. "...Frisk?" you asked, cautiously.  
  
They nodded and then awkwardly signed, 'Everything hurts...'  
  
You hesitated for a moment, glancing warily at Chara's trapped soul, before scrambling off Frisk and helping them sit up. You quickly began taking stock of their injuries as they got their bearings back, feeling like a stranger in their own body.  
  
Frisk looked up and saw Sans eyeing them warily from a safe distance away. As soon as they locked eyes with Sans, tears welled up and they began to bawl. "I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to hurt anyone! I didn't want to kill them! I- I- I- I-"  
  
You jerked in surprise at the sound of Frisk's voice. You were used to the sound of it now, given how much Chara liked to talk, but when Frisk used it, it had an altogether different quality to it. Chara was loud and aggressive in how they spoke, but Frisk was quiet and meek.  
  
"Hey now, it's not your fault... You aren't the one who did all those things. That was all Chara's doing." You soothed, cradling the distraught child against you.  
  
"Y-You're wrong... It's all my fault... I-I should have tried harder to stop them... I-I shouldn't have let them g-gain control in the first place! I... I KNEW what they wanted... I knew what they'd do if they successfully used their magic on me... And now... now even if I go back... even if I Reset, everything we worked for on the surface will be wiped out... M-Monsters won't be citizens anymore... Humans and monsters will be scared of each other again... And you..." Frisk looked at you with a mournful expression, "Papyrus won't remember you..." Frisk began sobbing again.  
  
Your heart clenched as Frisk confirmed what you already suspected. Papyrus wouldn't even know who you were...  
  
Frisk looked up, their vision blurry from their tears as skeletal fingers gently touched their arm.  
  
"hey, now. none of that." Sans spoke low and soothingly as he crouched next to the two of you. "i may not know all the finer details, but it seems to me like you fought them off for an pretty long time, right?"  
  
Frisk looked away, shrugging as they continued to sniffle.  
  
"you did well, kid, but we all get tired eventually. no one can fault you for that."  
  
"That's right, Frisk. I know you're a strong kid, but even you can't carry the weight of the entire world on your shoulders. No one person can. I just wish you'd told someone what was happening. I know you don't like to worry anyone, but what are friends for if not to help each other, hm?"  
  
Frisk nodded, their sniffling starting to subside. Their hands lifted and they returned to signing. 'You're right. I shouldn't have kept it to myself. I'm sorry.'  
  
You smiled gently at them. "It's alright, Frisk. So long as you promise to be more open in the future, okay?"  
  
'Okay. I promise.'  
  
You looked up, taking in the destruction of the Hall of Judgment before returning your gaze to Frisk. "So, what do you say? Do you think you can handle one more Reset?"  
  
Frisk nodded, a more determined look settling on their features. 'I'll set everything right again. No... I'll make things better than they were before!'  
  
You smiled at them, ruffling their hair a little. "That's the spirit, kid!"  
  
"as eager as i am to be done with this timeline, there's one last order of business to take care of if we don't want a repeat performance." Sans spoke up, gesturing with his head.  
  
You all turned to look at the small barrier containing Chara's soul. Sans was right. Resetting without figuring out how to deal with Chara would be pointless.  
  
"Any ideas?" You asked.  
  
"just one." Sans responded, his eye sockets completely dark. Before you could ask him what that idea was, Chara's soul was surrounded be sharpened bones. "they can't cause any more trouble if their soul is destroyed."  
  
You gaped at Sans. One part of you argued that you knew Chara was a horribly dangerous individual, one that had come incredibly close to destroying the world. Destroying their soul would ensure that they could never do that again. The other part of you hesitated at the idea of destroying ANY soul, even one as wicked and full of LOVE as theirs. Such a thing was just so final. So absolute.  
  
Frisk, too, seemed to struggle with the idea. They had experienced so much brutality already, they weren't eager to be complicit with any more.  
  
Hearing no immediate protests from the two of you, Sans took it as consent and stabbed the jagged bones towards the barrier.  
  
There was a flash of green, a dull thunk, and a cry of pain.  
  
"Vines?!" You gaped in surprise.  
  
In the moments before Sans' attack hit, a slew of vines burst through the floor and surrounded the barrier, absorbing the attack.  
  
'Flowey!' Frisk signed, pointing at the flower which had emerged through a crack in the floor a few feet away.  
  
Sans turned to the flower, his demeanor cold. "didn't know i was going to be doing any gardening today, or i would have borrowed asgore's shears."  
  
Flowey was wincing from the hit they took, but they quickly schooled their features. "Hate to break it to you, smiley trashbag, but I'm not going to let you kill Chara."  
  
"oh? and why's that?" Sans sized up the flower. He didn't know any flower monsters. He was sure of it. However, there was something horribly familiar about this 'Flowey'... Something that was setting off warning bells in his head. Although, maybe that was just because he was coming to the defense of the kid who'd just SLAUGHTERED half the underground.  
  
"Because Chara's my best friend." Flowey told him.  
  
The two squared off, preparing to attack each other.  
  
The fight was interrupted before it could begin, however, when Asgore burst into the room.  
  
"Little flower! Where did you g- OH!" Asgore blinked owlishly at the occupants of the destroyed room. "Oh, my... What is going on here??" His eyes landed on you and Frisk. "Who...?" Asgore's eyes widened. "You are humans."  
  
Sans was the first to respond. "hey, asgore. the humans and i just stopped this soul who was possessing one of them and using them to kill any monsters they encountered in the underground. i was just about to ensure they never get the opportunity to try something like that again."  
  
"Like hell you were!" Flowey snapped.  
  
"Please, little flower! Language!" Asgore chided him. "Now, what's this about a soul possessing one of the humans?"  
  
"it's right here." Sans gestured to the barrier.  
  
Asgore stepped forward and examined it. "This magic... Impossible!" He stared at it, startled and angry. "How could this magic possibly be here?!"  
  
You winced, and Frisk hugged you in an attempt to comfort you.  
  
"that, uh, would be from the other human." Sans admitted. "but the important part of that is that she came here to help. without her, that soul would have killed what few monsters remain in the underground."  
  
Asgore gave you a hard glare. "We will need to discuss this at length later, then." His eyes returned to the barrier, or more specifically, the soul that was trapped within it. "So, what the little flower told me is true, then? There really was a human hunting down monsters throughout the underground?"  
  
Sans seemed a little surprised to hear that Flowey had warned the king. "uh, yeah."  
  
"And this is the soul responsible for those actions?"  
  
"yes, sir."  
  
Asgore stared hard at Chara's soul before a look of horror dawned on his face. "It cannot be..."  
  
"what is it?" Sans asked.  
  
"...I know this soul..." There was a pregnant pause before Asgore brokenly whispered out a name. "...Chara..."  
  
Asgore looked absolutely devastated. There before him floated the corrupt soul of his adopted child. The one who he had loved as dearly as his own son. The one he just found out was responsible for the massacre of his people.  
  
You felt a powerful wave of guilt and sorrow for Asgore. This was the second time he had grown close to a human, only to be betrayed by them. Had he been this crushed by your own betrayal before it morphed into the overwhelming anger it was today?  
  
Asgore knelt before the barrier, tears streaming down his eyes. "My child... What has become of you?"  
  
The room was quiet for several long minutes as Asgore grieved. Eventually, Sans approached Asgore and placed a hand on his broad shoulder.  
  
"your majesty... i'm sorry for this, i really am, but they can't be allowed to continue on like this. they're a soul without a body. they've already possessed one person and used them to rampage across the underground... heck, they nearly possessed me before the human trapped them in that barrier. we'll all be at risk if they're allowed to exist."  
  
Flowey, having burrowed underground, popped up through the broken floor beneath the barrier, his vines extending protectively around the barrier. "You act like Chara's some terrible beast that needs to be put down, but you don't even TRY to understand them!" Flowey accused. "It's not Chara's fault that things ended up this way!" Flowey's face turned into a pained grimace. "It's my fault... If I had only listened to them, things would be different..."  
  
"I do not understand..." Asgore spoke.  
  
Flowey took a deep breath. "Long ago, Chara and I came up with this plan. A plan to free all the monsters of the underground. We knew that, in order to pass through the barrier, a human and a monster soul were needed. Chara, being the only human in the underground, poisoned themself so that I could absorb their soul. The plan was that we would travel to the surface, collect enough human souls to break the barrier, and then conquer the surface so monsters could live in peace. But... but I choked. When we got to Chara's village, I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill them. I... I kept thinking how much it hurt to watch Chara die... How those humans would hurt if I killed their loved ones... I... I then returned to the underground, but it was too late. I was too badly hurt, and I died. I can understand why Chara was so mad. It was my fault our plan failed. It was my fault their soul was trapped down here. They had only wanted to help monsters, and I went and mucked it all up..."  
  
"But..." Asgore hesitated. "But Chara's soul was absorbed by Asriel..."  
  
Flowey smiled sadly at Asgore. "...That's right... and here I am... One of Alphys' experiments accidentally brought me back like this... I hate being a flower... Or, rather, I would if I had a soul with which to feel." Flowey shrugged. "But, the point is, you can't let them hurt Chara! It's not their fault! ...Dad... PLEASE..." Flowey pleaded.  
  
If Asgore looked upset before, he was completely destroyed now. "Asriel..." he murmured disbelievingly.  
  
"asgore! you can't be considering this! think of what they've done! what they could do in the future if they ever get loose!" Sans argued.  
  
"Destroying Chara's soul won't help..." a quiet voice spoke up, and all eyes turned to Frisk, who stood up and walked closer to the barrier.  
  
"and just why not?" Sans asked, an edge of annoyance in his tone.  
  
"Because once I Reset, their soul would just be restored, anyway..."  
  
Silence reigned as everyone absorbed this information. Sans cursed quietly, realizing Frisk was right, Flowey looked relieved, and Asgore just looked confused, not understanding what Frisk meant by 'Reset'.  
  
"Well, then, what do we do?" You asked.  
  
"I have a solution that may be agreeable to everyone..." a new voice panted out.  
  
Everyone's attention snapped towards the voice. There in the doorway leading deeper into the underground stood Azzy.  
  
"Azzy?? You're alright!" You exclaimed, surprised and relieved to see another familiar face, safe and sound.  
  
"what are you doing out here, azzy? i thought you evacuated with the others?" Sans asked.  
  
"I did. I was actually helping monitor the movements of the human through the underground via Alphys' cameras. When I saw that you had successfully stopped them, I rushed out here as quick as I could." Azzy stepped forward into the room, his labored breathing evening out.  
  
"So, what's this solution you had?" You asked.  
  
"As powerful as a Reset might be, even time magic has its limits. If our human friend here could sufficiently strengthen the barrier containing the soul, it should be able to resist the effects the child's time magic would have, leaving the soul trapped and intact. The humans could then arrange for the soul to be guarded to ensure everyone's safety. Perhaps there would even be a way to rehabilitate them? To show them that not everything must end in hatred and violence... that even they are worthy of love..." Azzy explained. "Even if I did not remember this, I'm certain that I would volunteer to guard their soul if you asked me."  
  
Sans scoffed slightly. "you had me up until the 'rehabilitation' part. people like them don't change. you can't just get rid of your LOVE once you have it."  
  
"That's actually not true..." you pointed out. "Don't you remember? I told you that I used to have an elevated LOVE, but I was able to reduce it by loving and being loved by others. By building connections instead of breaking them. ... Or was that one of the conversations lost to a Load? Dammit... that's so confusing..." You grumbled.  
  
"I do not understand everything that has been said, but if there is a chance that my child can be redeemed, I would prefer to take it." Asgore rumbled.  
  
Frisk nodded in agreement. 'Chara went so long without love that, when they finally got it from Toriel, Asgore, and Asriel they didn't know how to handle it. They tried to return their affection, but it was twisted and ended up hurting everyone.' Frisk signed, then hesitated briefly before continuing. 'When they took control of me and forced the Reset, I could feel their anger towards everyone, but... There was more than that. They seemed... sad, and lonely. Seeing Toriel and Asgore finally beginning to reconcile, they felt... forgotten.' they signed. 'Despite their previous lives... Despite everything they've done... Right now, in this time, they're still just a kid, like me. A kid who only ever wanted love and attention... They deserve a second chance."  
  
_"I never thought about it like that..."_ You thought to yourself. _"It makes sense... Chara is no more the king-manipulating mage, Red, than I am Moira or Marge. They... They were still just a kid when they died as Chara, but they weren't able to reincarnate. So they've been stuck with that child-like mentality... bitter and alone... for all these years..."_  
  
Flowey glanced at Azzy suspiciously. "I get why everyone else here would have an opinion on the matter. We all have a stake in this... But why do YOU care what happens to Chara? Why, of all people, would you volunteer to guard them and try to reduce their LOVE?"  
  
Azzy looked mournful. "Because I am partially responsible for the way they turned out."  
  
Everyone stared at Azzy in confusion.  
  
"what are you talking about, azz? you weren't even alive back when chara and asriel were around." Sans asked.  
  
"You're right. I wasn't." Azzy let out a nervous chuckle. "But you're also wrong."  
  
Everyone's confused looks increased tenfold.  
  
"As relieved as I am that I am no longer the only one baffled by the conversation, would you be so kind as to elaborate?" Asgore asked politely.  
  
Azzy nodded. "Of course, your majesty. To ensure that we're all on the same page, though, allow me to read to you one of the legends that has been passed down by monsters since ancient times."  
  
Azzy reached into his cloak and pulled out a very old looking tome. He gingerly flipped through the book until he reached the entry he was looking for. With everyone's attention on him, he cleared his throat and began to read...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew. Chara's reign of terror is finally over. That's not the end of things, however. 
> 
> Next time, we have story time with Azzy! Just what knowledge has he kept stored in that vast array of books he collects?
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all have a Happy New Year!


	57. Legends and Love

_Long, long ago, in an age when monsters and humans were young and the world was vast and wild, there lived a young monster._  
  
_The elders would warn their children to steer clear of humans, for they were violent creatures that would kill anything, be it monster, beast, or even other humans, without hesitation._  
  
_The young monster, being clever and dangerously curious, had his doubts about the elder's warnings. Surely no creature could be so vile as the elder's stories depicted humans to be? Determined to see for himself, the young monster set off for the forbidden lands in which humans dwelled._  
  
_Several times, the young monster was forced to flee for his life when he was discovered by the local humans. They certainly seemed to be the terrible beings he'd been warned of, but the young monster was determined to keep trying until he could observe them unseen._  
  
_One day, his diligence was rewarded and he found an optimal place to observe a human village without rousing their suspicions. What he saw was counter to everything he'd been taught. The humans were a people not unlike his own. He saw men and women working to provide for their families, and children running around, laughing and playing games... His heart leapt joyfully at the newfound knowledge._  
  
_One day, the young monster took a chance to sneak closer to the village, for he yearned to know what sorts of things humans talked about. While he was crouched amongst the thorny bushes as the edge of the village, there was a startled gasp behind him. He whipped around to find a young human woman had stumbled upon his hiding place. The young monster immediately tried to flee, but his cloak had become entangled in the thorny bushes and kept him trapped._  
  
_There was a masculine shout from the village as another human began to approach to see what the ruckus was about. However, before the young monster could react, the woman stepped next to him and called out to the man. She claimed that her dress had merely become entangled in the thorns, and that she would bring the food she had gathered as soon as she had freed herself. Satisfied that there was no danger, the man left._  
  
_The woman knelt and began to untangle the monster's cloak. She warned him that it was dangerous for a monster to be so close to a human village, for many humans feared monsters and would lash out if they saw him._  
  
_The young monster thanked the woman for saving him, but asked why she herself had not sought his death?_  
  
_The young woman smiled and admitted that she had seen him observing the village curiously several times while out foraging, and could tell from the start that he meant no harm._  
  
_The young monster was embarrassed that his perfect hiding place had not been so perfect after all, but he knew an opportunity when he saw one. He asked the young woman if she would tell him about her people._  
  
_The young woman considered the proposition. It did not take her long to agree, but only under two conditions: first of all, they would speak only while she was out foraging. Her people would not react well if they saw the two conversing, after all. And secondly, he would have to tell her about his people in exchange.  
  
The young monster happily agreed, and they arranged to meet the next day, before he slinked back off into the forest._  
  
_Thus, the two began to meet in secret. They would walk and talk while the woman gathered food and supplies for her village. The young monster found joy in their shared thirst for knowledge, and the two would laugh and smile. They shared triumphs and failures, their hopes and fears... Day after day... Season after season...  
  
Until they realized that they had fallen in love._  
  
_Their relationship was taboo amongst both their peoples, each believing the other was terrible and savage, but the young couple did not care. Their love had grown so grand, and so deep, that not even the greatest of divides could keep them apart._  
  
_The young monster returned to the village one day, having just returned from a trip home to drop off the journal with what he'd learned about humans, and immediately made for his and his lover's usual meeting place. He was overjoyed to relay to her that he had convinced his people to give humans a chance. That they wanted to meet her. That the two of them would not have to live in secret if she was willing to come with him._  
  
_What he discovered nearly caused his soul to shatter on the spot._  
  
_There, hanging from the old oak at which they always met, was his lover. Her body was covered in cuts and bruises, blood spattering the ground all around her. Carved into the tree itself were epithets labeling her as the devil's whore. She was completely still. Dead._  
  
_The young monster quickly cut her down and ran his hands over her battered face, tears streaking down his own. There was still a vague, lingering warmth to her. She had been killed recently._  
  
_He clutched her to himself and began to wail in grief, uncaring about who might hear._  
  
_Trembling, he felt the warmth of her soul still within her body and carefully pulled it forth one last time. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever known, and his soul ached at the need to feel her warmth one last time. He clutched her soul to himself, trying to convey to her his grief and regret at not being there to protect her, and unwittingly absorbed her soul._  
  
_The power he felt was unimaginable. The strength and determination her soul granted to him made him feel invincible. He quickly and gently laid her body to rest within the earth at the base of the tree where they had so often met and, feeling his helpless regret morph into an unfathomable rage, turned his gaze towards the village._  
  
_The villagers had been surprised by the young monster's appearance, but they were not unprepared. They gathered their weapons and prepared to attack the 'demon'._  
  
_They were powerless against his fury._  
  
_By day's end, all that remained of the village were the crumbled stone foundations, the thatched roofs set aflame among the wreckage, and the ground soaked red with blood._  
  
_With every last person, and every last structure crushed by his wrath, the young monster's mind finally began to clear, and the realization of what he'd done dawned on him. His horror was renewed as he saw the destruction even he, a monster, supposedly made of love, hope, and compassion, was capable of. He knew his lover's soul had not influenced him to such ruination. No. She was kind, and bold, and understanding, and gentle... Her soul had merely granted him the power to act on his own impulses. His own rage and grief. This terrible act of violence was all on him._  
  
_It seemed that monsters and humans really weren't that different._  
  
_Disgusted with himself for his actions, the monster sent off one last letter home, explaining what had happened..._  
  
_... and what would become of him for it._  
  
_The young monster then returned to the old oak where he'd buried his lover, and took his own life._  
  
...  
  
Azzy finished reading the story, gently closing the book.  
  
There was a brief quiet before Flowey spoke up.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. The story about the first monster to ever absorb a human soul. What does that have to do with anything?"  
  
"What if I were to tell you that that is not where the story ends?" Azzy asked.  
  
Asgore tilted his head and rumbled quietly in thought. "I know that the journal the monster wrote on humans used to exist... It was in my father's library before the war. However, it was destroyed a long time ago..."  
  
"i don't think that's what azzy's referring to." Sans shook his head. "while that might provide more details to the existing story, it certainly wouldn't continue it."  
  
'Did something happen after they died?' Frisk asked.  
  
Azzy smiled at them. "Yes. Something did happen. Something unprecedented." Azzy looked around to see that everyone was paying close attention. "As you all know, when a monster dies, their body turns to dust and their soul fades away with it. When the young monster died, however, his soul did not fade like one would expect. His bond with his lover was so great that, when he had absorbed his lover's soul, the two were able to share their very essence. From her soul he had gained the strength of determination, and from his soul she had gained the power of magic. Just as the young monster realized this, his lover's soul called out to him:  
  
_'Do not despair, my love. While my family did not agree, and while you may not feel so yourself right now, you are worthy of all the love my soul has to offer.'_  
  
_'My heart, I do not deserve one as gracious as you. I would follow you to the ends of the earth.'_  
  
_'Then follow, my love, for I will be waiting.'_  
  
And so he did. The two souls faded and found root in new forms, and each time they did, they would seek each other out and rekindle their undying love. The children born of their unions were special. Those who took mostly after their mother also bore their father's affinity for magic, and those who took after their father possessed their mother's strength and Determination. And both, like their parents, continued the cycle of death and rebirth."  
  
The room was silent as everyone absorbed Azzy's story.  
  
"so, you're saying that mages and boss monsters are descended from this couple?" Sans asked.  
  
Azzy shook his head. "Not necessarily. While it is true that mages and boss monsters can both trace their lineage back to a mixed ancestry, not all of them originate from this particular couple. It is rare, but other monster/human couples have existed throughout history."  
  
"Than what's so special about that couple?" Flowey asked.  
  
"They possess the ability to reincarnate upon death..." You murmured out the answer, realization dawning on you.  
  
Azzy smiled at you, pleased. "That is correct. Most monsters and humans, and even boss monsters and mages, are not reborn upon death. At least not in the sense that they possess the same exact soul each time. The couple and their direct children, however, do."  
  
Frisk looked at you. 'That would mean you and Chara are like siblings.'  
  
Your eyes drifted to the barrier containing Chara's soul and cursed. "Fucking hell..."  
  
"Language, human!" Asgore scolded you.  
  
"In a soul-sense, you could see it that way, yes." Azzy nodded.  
  
"and how does this all relate to you?" Sans asked Azzy, eyes narrowed. It was clear that he had already figured out the answer, but wanted to hear it from Azzy himself.  
  
"... I am the reincarnated form of the young monster." Azzy stated.  
  
You just stared at Azzy, unsure how to react as everyone around you burst into chatter at that declaration. Azzy had basically just told you that he was your father. And that murderous little shit, Chara, was your sibling. At least in a soul-sense. Did that make Sarah your 'mother'? It was a weird thought. You had been born, physically, to a completely different, completely human, couple, but your soul... your soul was actually half monster.  
  
"Does that mean there are others?" You asked.  
  
Everyone paused their talking to see how Azzy would answer.  
  
"Possibly. Our boss monster children died out during the war, and I cannot be sure their souls would have survived being cut off outside the barrier for all these centuries. Still, it's possible that, once the barrier is brought down, their souls may be able to reincarnate once more. And as for our mage children... I cannot say. I am well aware how cruel and harsh the outside world can be. Some souls, even ones like ours, simply cannot endure such hardships. However, seeing the two of you here gives me hope that some of the others may have survived."  
  
"You mentioned feeling responsible for Chara's current state. What happened?" Asgore asked gently.  
  
A sad look crossed Azzy's face. "During the lifetime that spawned Chara's soul, my love and I were discovered while she was giving birth. I fended them off the best I could, but it was hopeless. They killed me, my love, and my child. It was hardly the first life that something like that had happened. Usually, our child's soul would shatter at such a violent and short first life, but Chara's soul endured, and was reborn. Unfortunately, we were never able to show them the love they deserved, and after going so long without it, they could not understand it when you shared your love with them, your majesty. It was that lack of understanding of what love truly is that caused them to spiral so wildly out of control like this. Thus, I feel it is my duty to teach them what they should have learned so long ago... What it means to love and be loved in return."  
  
You were still angry at Chara for everything they'd done, but at the same time you felt a bit of pity for them. It seemed that Chara really hadn't known what it meant to be loved outside of what their monster family had shown them, and even then, they were already so twisted that they tried to show their own affection with violence and bloodshed. Was it even possible to fix them after everything they'd endured and done?  
  
That, you supposed, depended on Chara.  
  
You looked up at Asgore, Sans, and Flowey who were having a heated, uh, **discussion** , on whether or not to go with Azzy's plan to keep Chara imprisoned here, or to destroy their soul once and for all.  
  
"no offense, **your majesty** , but you didn't watch the kid **rampage** across the underground, killing monsters without the **slightest** hesitation, despite their connection to the royal family. you're letting your personal feelings for the kid influence your judgment here." Sans argued, clearly growing irritated.  
  
"Sans, I cannot order their execution..." Asgore rumbled.  
  
"why not? you ordered the execution of every other human that fell into the underground, and most of **them** didn't even do anything to deserve it!" Sans countered.  
  
Asgore flinched, knowing that Sans was right.  
  
Flowey was just about to interject, undoubtedly with another threat, when you approached the small group.  
  
"Sans..." you placed a hand on his shoulder, drawing his attention. "That's enough."  
  
He took one look at you, and his eye sockets narrowed. "don't tell me you're going to try and convince me that they can be 'rehabilitated', too?"  
  
"I'm not. I'm not convinced that they can." You told him. Sans scrutinized your face, waiting for the 'but'. He wasn't disappointed. "But... I think they deserve the chance to try."  
  
"what they **deserve** is a blaster to the **face**." Sans growled, clearly annoyed that everyone seemed to have gone mad. After all, they were talking about a **genocidal maniac** here.  
  
Sans glanced down at the feeling of someone tugging on his sleeve to see Frisk standing there. They began to sign, 'No one is perfect, Sans. Most of the people in this very room have done terrible things... That doesn't mean they don't deserve a chance to make up for it, though. It won't be easy, but I truly believe that Chara can become a better person. Their feelings of love for Asgore, Toriel, and Asriel may have been twisted, but it was still love. They just need someone to show them how you're suppose to treat someone you care about.'  
  
Sans scoffed, though his vehemence seemed to have died down as it became clear that no one agreed with him.  
  
You squeezed his shoulder. "You know, someone very dear to me once told me that the biggest mistake a person can make is giving up on someone who wants to be a better person. I'm certain he wouldn't want you to make that mistake."  
  
Sans looked at you, a dawning look of understanding as he recognized his brother's oft-touted philosophy. Sans scrutinized you for a few moments before speaking. "sounds like he's a **bona fied** wise man."  
  
A small smile crept its way onto your face. "He has to be given that his **numbskull** of a brother is such a wise ASS." You winked at him.  
  
Sans chuckled lightly. "alright, i'm clearly out-voted here. you guys win. but don't come crying to me if things go south." He shrugged, his nonchalant demeanor returning.  
  
Asgore and Flowey both sighed in relief as the last real resistance to the plan gave way.  
  
"Now that that is settled, how do we go about doing this?" Asgore asked.  
  
"First off, our human friend will need to ensure that the barrier containing Chara's soul is strong enough to resist a Reset." Azzy explained.  
  
"the stronger, the better. time magic isn't known for being gentle on reality, and we don't want to risk that thing breaking under the influence of a Reset." Sans pointed out.  
  
"I'll do everything I can... I just hope it'll be enough..." You mumbled.  
  
"You're not exactly giving me a great deal of confidence here." Flowey grumbled at your hesitant response.  
  
'I'll need my strength to do a True Reset, but why don't you ask the six souls dad- I mean, Asgore has if they'll offer you their strength to make sure the barrier is strong enough?' Frisk asked.  
  
"And just how is she suppose to do that? Humans can't absorb other human souls, you idiot! Why do you think I was created in the FIRST place?" Flowey grouched.  
  
"Ah, but our human friend's soul is only half human." Azzy countered.  
  
"and she already proved she can draw power from other human souls, even without absorbing them, when she created the barrier around the mountain." Sans pointed out. You winced as Asgore once again glared at you at the reminder.  
  
"I do not think giving the mage access to the other souls would be a wise decision." Asgore declared.  
  
Sans gave him a hard look. "look, pal, if we're going to give the genocidal maniac a chance, the **least** you can do is trust the human who has **proven** that she's here to help. you know, the one who found a way to **stop** your murderous brat without destroying their soul?"  
  
There was a murmuring of agreement, and Asgore relented, though he was clearly still wary of the idea. "... Very well. If it must be so." Asgore exited the room to get the souls.  
  
"I'll also create a barrier around myself so that I'll be here in case anything goes wrong, and to make sure no one tries messing with Chara's prison until we can set up some guards." You state.  
  
There's some murmured agreement.  
  
Sans leaned in towards you, speaking quietly so only you could hear. "in that case, you're going to need a quick way to convince me that you're a friend who can be trusted, since i pass through here fairly regularly. so, i'll tell you my secret codeword, which will let past me know that you really are a time traveling friend." Sans paused. "on second thought... normally i'd give you my secret codeword, and then when you told it to past me, i'd make double-sure that you were really a time traveler by making you go back and tell me the secret secret codeword, but since you don't control the timeline, and this is pretty important, i'll just skip straight to giving you the secret secret codeword."  
  
Sans leaned in close and whispered the codeword to you.  
  
Your face immediately scrunched up. "Oh, come on! THAT'S your special time traveler codeword?" you whispered to him in disbelief.  
  
"no, it's my secret secret codeword. it's an important distinction." Sans clarified.  
  
"Uh-huh..." You responded, clearly unimpressed.  
  
"Ah, here he comes." Azzy's voice caught your attention, and you looked up to see Asgore returning. Within Asgores arms were several containers, each housing a different colored soul.  
  
The sight was actually kind of chilling. There was the proof that what Chara had said was true. Asgore really had ordered the execution of any human unfortunate enough to stumble into the underground. How far your old friend had fallen...  
  
Asgore placed the containers down, and Frisk approached them. They spoke out loud once more in that quiet voice of theirs: "I know it's asking a lot, but please lend my friend your strength. I'm going to set things right. I'm going to free everybody, including you, but first we need to be sure that we won't wind up back here again." Frisk explained to the floating souls.  
  
The souls flickered a bit in response before, one by one, they began to glow with their gathering power.  
  
"Thank you." Frisk said, then began opening up the lid to each container.  
  
The souls floated out of their prisons and began to slowly circle you. The sight of these lost souls was both beautiful, and kind of sad.  
  
You just hoped you could remember how to do this.  
  
You closed your eyes and focused. You could feel their energy surrounding you and you reached out with your own soul, guiding that power inwards. As you did, you began to feel the essence of each of the souls themselves.  
  
Justice...  
  
Kindness...  
  
Perseverance...  
  
Patience...  
  
Bravery...  
  
Integrity...  
  
And from each and every one of them, a lingering hope for freedom and peace at last...  
  
You began to weave their power with your own, knitting together a barrier not unlike the one trapping everyone down here. You molded the barrier around Chara's current prison as their soul lashed out in an attempt to escape before you could secure them fully. It was no use, though. They could not escape your power now. And with the additional power of the 6 other souls, not even the Reset would be able to break their prison.  
  
After you maneuvered Chara's prison somewhere out-of-the-way and not easily noticed, you then used the power to construct a barrier around yourself. You were careful to ensure that yours was one-way, and would allow you to exit it after the Reset. After all, with their power weaved into it, you weren't going to be able to take it down afterwards.  
  
With the barriers in-place, the souls returned to their containers.  
  
Sans turned to Frisk. "well, kid... looks like it's all up to you, now. good luck."  
  
Frisk nodded, and turned to Flowey. 'I know you can remember through Resets, but this time, I need you to let me make you forget. To do a True Reset. If you remember this... you might not act the same way you normally would... and if you don't act the same way, than we won't be able to reach the surface.'  
  
Flowey cocked his head, surprised. "Sheesh. You make it sound like I'm the one who's suppose to take down the barrier, or something. Fine. Whatever."  
  
Frisk smiled knowingly at him, before turning to everyone else. 'Is everyone ready?'  
  
"ready when you are, kid." Sans nodded.  
  
"Yes." Azzy agreed.  
  
"Besides that this has something to do with time magic, I'm still not entirely sure what is happening, since no one bothered to explain it to me," Asgore shot a mildly annoyed glance at the other monsters, who all looked a bit sheepish, "However, if what you are doing truly will help my children and the rest of the denizens of the underground, than I am ready."  
  
With everyone ready, Frisk nodded. 'Alright. Here goes.'  
  
You watched Frisk begin to focus, magic roiling off them in waves. Everything around them stopped as if time itself had frozen. You watched in morbid fascination as the world began to crumble away all around them. You felt the power of the Reset scouring at the barrier, trying to tear it down, but the barrier held firm.  
  
Within minutes you were plunged into the impossibly dark storm, only the barriers containing you and Chara standing firm against the encroaching nothingness.  
  
Your heart pounded within your chest as you recalled the last time you'd seen this.  
  
...The last time you'd seen Papyrus...  
  
All you could do was pray that everything would turn out all right...  
  
Frisk        LV 1        577:31  
  
Last Corridor  
  
        Continue        Reset

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus, the Genocide run ends! Yay!
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed storytime with Azzy! It was kind of fun to write that little bit of lore. It just kind of made sense to me for the origin of mages and boss monsters to be from mixed ancestry. After all, the things that make them unique among their species (magic, and the ability for their soul to endure after their body perishes) is common in the other. 
> 
> Though, there are a few minor details from my notes that I think are either pretty subtle or just outright omitted in the story. Specifically, if you remember the rock piles Reader noticed from Sarah and Azzy's wedding, those are actually the dilapidated foundations of the village Azzy destroyed in his first life. (When Sarah said that place was where she and Azzy first truly connected, she MEANS it was the FIRST place.) And then there's the little note I have that boss monster/mage status dilutes over generations until most of the descendants are born without any special power. (This is a big reason why the world isn't crawling with mages. Though, any of the reincarnating souls are born with their powers regardless of who their parents are. Whether they discover that latent power is another matter altogether.) The most interesting part about this? It's never mentioned, but in my story's canon, Undyne is a distant descendant of a boss monster, and that's why, in the genocide run, she's able to create her own determination. It's an ancient, almost completely dormant trait from her ancient ancestor. 
> 
> Well, anyway, now that all that crazy stuff is over, it's time to Reset and begin rebuilding. We won't be running into Papyrus again just yet. Honestly, I keep frustrating myself every time I remember that he hasn't been seen or heard from since chapter 51. Well, not ALIVE, anyway. He wasn't suppose to be absent from the story this long. This whole arc was a HELL of a lot shorter in my notes. But... what can you do? Sometimes, your "reset into genocide will happen, and then 1-2 chapters later reset back into pacifist and free monsters" plan turns into "reset into genocide will happen, then spend 6+ chapters just getting to the part where they reset back to pacifist".


	58. The Virtue of Patience

Bit by bit, you watched the world cobble itself back together. It was a surreal thing to see... It occurred to you that you were, quite literally, watching the creation, or rather, recreation, of the world. You hadn't really stopped to consider it before, but that kind of power was STAGGERING... You thanked any and all deities that may exist that such a power had fallen to someone as kind and gentle as Frisk. Well... at least eventually.  
  
After some time passed, you cautiously pushed your way through the barrier that had protected you through the reset.  
  
Your first order of business was to check on Chara's prison. A cursory glance was enough to see that the barrier was holding strong, and Chara's soul... Well, you weren't entirely sure HOW, but you got a sense of irritation from it. You couldn't help but picture a child with their arms crossed, huffing while having a temper tantrum.  
  
Assured that Chara wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, you crept out of the secluded corner you had placed the barriers in and began to look around the room. All the broken pillars and shattered glass were gone. The hall was once again pristine, and silent. It truly was a beautiful room, but you couldn't stop the shudder that ran through you. You couldn't help but imagine it littered with rubble and coated in blood...  
  
Your curiosity sated for the moment, you returned to Chara's prison. You thought of Frisk, making their way through the underground once again. A part of you wanted to go with them... to see more of the underground... to interact with the monsters living here once again... But you knew you shouldn't. Time was a weird, fickle thing. If a lifetime of TV, movies, and video games had taught you anything, it was that even the smallest, most inconsequential, seeming changes could drastically alter the future. You didn't want to risk effecting Frisk's journey through the underground and put everyone's freedom in jeopardy.  
  
So, you would just have to be patient...  
  
...and wait...  
  
\------------------------------  
  
_"Bored. Bored. Bored. Bored. Bored. Bored. Bored. **Bored.** "_  
  
You were laying on your back, staring up at the stained glass windows and picking apart every tiny imperfection you could spot. There was literally nothing for you to do. You wished you knew how long Frisk's journey through the underground would take.  
  
Your stomach growled.  
  
You also wished you'd had the foresight to pack a lunch, too.  
  
You sighed, and rested your arm over your eyes to block out the golden glow that seemed to permeate the room. With nothing else to do, you tried to rest.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Fifty tiles across.  
  
The Judgment Hall had fifty tiles across its width, each tile approximately a foot wide, which would make the hall itself about fifty feet wide. Maybe. You never were very good at estimating distance.  
  
Yep.  
  
This was fun.  
  
...  
  
You groaned and paused your 'exploration' of the Hall of Judgment, leaning against a pillar. Quite a few hours had passed since you arrived. Or so you assumed. It was hard to tell when you were limited to either exploring this EXTREMELY boring room, or sleeping.  
  
You let your eyes drift shut as you wondered how things were going. Where was Frisk now? Were they close? Was everything going smoothly? Had they... had they met Papyrus yet?  
  
Papyrus...  
  
He was alive again.  
  
You wanted to go see him so badly, but... but that would put Frisk's journey at risk...  
  
And, besides...  
  
He wouldn't remember you, anyway...  
  
"well, now... what are the odds?"  
  
The familiar voice startled you out of your musings. Your eyes shot open and you stumbled to the side when your body jerked to attention at the unexpected sound.  
  
"careful, pal! don't go **falling** for me just yet! we've only just met, after all." Sans grinned cheekily at you.  
  
You groaned, covering your face with your palm.  
  
"i know it's tough not to. i've already left you **speechless.** " He winked at you.  
  
"More like flabbergasted..." You grumbled.  
  
"hehe... by the way, i'm sans. sans the skeleton. nice to meet you, pal." Sans pulled his hand out of his pocket and held it out for you to shake.  
  
You hesitated briefly as your mind finally caught up to the fact that you'd been spotted.  
  
_"It's alright... Sans suspected that this might happen. Once I explain everything, he'll be able to play it cool. It shouldn't affect the outcome of Frisk's journey..."_  
  
You reached out and gripped his hand, opening your mouth to introduce yourself... and were stunned silent as you were greeted by a perfectly normal handshake.  
  
_"Wait? No whoopie cushion??"_ You were distracted by the unusual, for Sans, greeting.  
  
"so... you're human, right? that's hilarious..." Sans' eyes drifted to the side. "in fact, you're the second one i've met today..."  
  
You perked up at that. "Really?!" You asked excitedly. That meant that Frisk had at least reached Snowdin.  
  
"yeah." Sans' gaze returned to you. "a human emerged from the ruins earlier today. nice kid. great sense of humor, too."  
  
You sighed in both relief and exasperation. It was good to hear that Frisk was doing okay, but you also realized that Snowdin was a pretty early stop in their adventure. Looks like you had a long wait ahead of you.  
  
"anyway, i'm actually really glad you're here, pal." Sans' gaze remained on you.  
  
"Really??" You asked. Did he somehow manage to remember you through the reset?  
  
"you see, i've got a bit of a problem." Sans glanced away. "there's this old lady behind the door to the ruins. she's pretty cool. tells the best terrible jokes i've heard in a while. well, i was joking with her last night, and she was more subdued than normal, so i asked her what was up? she... made a strange request. she asked me to promise that, if a human ever came out that door, that i would watch over them. protect them. now, i hate making promises, but this lady... well, someone who sincerely loves bad jokes like that has an integrity you just can't say 'no' to."  
  
"So, what's the problem?" you asked.  
  
"the problem is, i don't know if i can keep that particular promise. and... even if i manage to, than a lot of other people are going to suffer as a result."  
  
You stared at him, confused. "What do you mean?"  
  
"see, the only way out of here is through the barrier. problem is, no one, be they monster or human, can pass through it on their own. it takes at least one monster soul and one human soul to breach it." You nodded in understanding. You already knew that. "so, the only way the kid could pass through the barrier and go home is to kill a monster and take their soul. of course, not just any monster soul will do, as most monster souls disappear as soon as they die. the kid would have to kill a boss monster, our king, to leave here. as you can imagine, that's not a very good option for us."  
  
"No, it wouldn't..."  
  
"of course, the kid could just stay down here with us. problem with that is, the king would never let that stand. you see, there's another way through the barrier. one that would free us all. that's to collect seven human souls and use their power to break it. the king has collected six so far. that kid is the last soul we need for all of us to be free." Sans shrugged. "personally, i don't really care whether or not we get to the surface. my problem is, no matter which way things unfold with the kid, someone's going to suffer for it. if they live, everyone remains trapped, and we may even lose our king. if they die, we'll be free but i'll have failed to keep my promise."  
  
"That would be a problem..." you agreed. "...but everything will work out in the end. You'll see!" you told him confidently.  
  
Sans smiled at you. "thanks, pal. i actually agree with you. now that you're here, everything will work out just fine."  
  
"Now that I'm here??" you asked, confused.  
  
"yep." Sans closed his eyes. "i promised to protect any human that came through the door to the ruins..." His eyes snapped open, his eye sockets completely dark.  
  
**" . . . B u t  y o u  d i d n ' t  c o m e  o u t  o f  t h e  r u i n s ,  n o w  d i d  y o u ? "**  
  
That was all the warning you got before your soul was pulled from your chest and the battle started.  
  
"W-WHA?!" You yelped as your soul was immediately turned blue and you felt the crushing weight of Sans' gravity magic slam you into the ground.  
  
Adrenaline and panic flooded your system as you knew immediately what was about to happen. You'd watched it plenty of times before, after all. You scrambled and dove out of the way as several jagged bones thrust up out of the ground where you had been laying just moments before.  
  
You staggered to your feet as the blue magic faded. "S-Sans! Wait! STOP!" you cried out as waves of bones flooded your way. You dodged them as best you could, but were hit several times.  
  
There was a hum of energy as the last of the bones faded, and your head shot up to see several blasters honed in on you.  
  
"SHIT!" You leaped out of the way of the first set, but the next set was already charging. You dove out of the way of the second set, the blast clipping your leg...  
  
... and stumbled.  
  
Your eyes widened in terror as you felt yourself falling to the ground... The third set was already aiming for your new prone position, even before you landed. There was not enough time to get up. Not enough time to move.  
  
It was a fatal mistake.  
  
Sans watched you fall to the ground as his blasters honed in on you, even through the dirt and debris that had been kicked into the air. The third set fired, your cry of fear drowned out by the sound of the blast. The fourth, and final pair of blasters , bigger than the others, formed and unleashed their attack into the cloud of dust. Even if you had somehow managed to survive a direct hit from the third set of blasters, the fourth set would have finished you off.  
  
Sans felt his soul twinge in guilt. You hadn't seemed like a bad human. While you had been startled when he first spoke, you had actually seemed quite friendly. It was... a little weird. Like the existence of monsters was a natural, everyday thing to you. Unfortunately for you, he was in a bit of a bind, and your death would solve most of his current problems. At least now he could keep his promise to the old lady without betraying the rest of the underground. Of course, now King Asgore would be able to conquer the surface, but he was fairly certain he could keep the kid distracted down here until the danger had passed.  
  
Sans stepped forward to collect your soul, trying not to think of all the human lives he was about to indirectly destroy by turning your soul over to the king. His only consolation was that at least that particular sin wouldn't be on his brother's shoulders.  
  
After a couple steps, Sans stiffened and came to an abrupt halt.  
  
Through the gradually settling dust, there was a shimmering white light...  
  
A light that pulsed with magic...  
  
But it was not just any magic...  
  
Sans **knew** this magic...  
  
Any monster would.  
  
And while it was much simpler in nature, possessing only one magical signature instead of seven...  
  
...there was no denying that this was the very same magic that had kept them trapped down here for hundreds of years...  
  
You huddled under your barrier, struggling to get your breathing back under control. That had been close. You tried to wipe the sweat from your forehead, only to realize that there was blood trickling down your arm from one of Sans' attacks. You were light-headed and nauseas from the unexpected adrenaline rush, and you were pretty sure you'd be vomiting if your stomach hadn't already been empty.  
  
You stood back up and allowed your barrier to drop, but kept your magic at the ready.  
  
"t-that's, uh... some trick you got there..." Sans broke the silence.  
  
You felt your anger well up in you. "What. The. HELL." You growled out.  
  
Sans twitched reflexively, but did nothing as you stood there fuming.  
  
"You ATTACKED me!" You snapped at him. "Seriously, what the FUCK?!"  
  
Sans flinched slightly. "...as i said, we need one more human soul to be free and i promised to protect the kid. i figured yours would do just as well, but... you're no ordinary human, are you?" he accused.  
  
You felt your anger ebb as you were reminded that Sans didn't know who you were. You winced internally as you reminded yourself that it was YOUR responsibility to tell him who you were, and that it wasn't HIS fault he didn't know you were a friend. Of course he would think you were some random human that had blundered into the underground and try to take your soul... that was the way things had worked before Frisk had freed the monsters.  
  
Sans continued on. "that barrier... it's the same magic as the one that keeps us trapped down here. exactly the same. that would make you one of the seven mages... but... how could you possibly be alive? humans don't live that long. how are you here? **why** are you here?" an edge of panic began to break through Sans' normally cool facade. "are you here to stop us from reaching the surface?!"  
  
You took in Sans' current state. His pupils were back, but they had shrunk to tiny pinpricks of light within his vast eye sockets. His permanent grin was strained and sweat was dripping down his skull. He was tense, ready to fight, and he was... trembling.  
  
Sans was afraid of you.  
  
Of course he would be... almost every monster had reacted that way upon learning who you were. They were raised on the stories of how you'd imprisoned them down here. On how terrible human mages were. You were essentially the physical embodiment of the boogeyman to them.  
  
...And even though you knew that they could, and likely would, forgive you again, it still hurt to see your friend react like that.  
  
Sans watched you carefully. You were expressive, and he kept a wary eye out for any sign of what your intent was. To his surprise, he saw your anger fade and be replaced with... comprehension? Then there was guilt... and... sadness? You weren't reacting at all like he expected.  
  
"...just who **are** you?" he breathed out into the silence.  
  
You snapped out of your sad stupor, and after a moment, let out a wry, exasperated chuckle.  
  
"I suppose I should have said this earlier. It would have saved us a lot of pain and confusion." You gestured to your wounded arm, which was still slowly oozing blood. You took a breath as if to prepare yourself, your face twisting into a mixed look of amusement and distaste. "I am the legendary fartmaster."  
  
Silence reigned as Sans stared at you, dumbfounded.  
  
...  
  
The silence stretched on so long, you began to fidget. "Uh... Sans?"  
  
Sans seemed to shake himself out of his stupor and gave you a small smile. "wow... you know, for some big, bad, terrible mage, that was pretty childish."  
  
You gaped at him, affronted. "Hey! Don't give me that! It's YOUR secret codeword!"  
  
Sans' look turned serious. "that's not my secret codeword."  
  
You rolled your eyes. "Oh, right. FINE. It's your secret SECRET codeword." you corrected sarcastically.  
  
Sans relaxed again, winking at you. "why would you think that was a secret secret codeword? whoever told you that is a dirty liar. i don't have a secret secret codeword."  
  
You sputtered in surprise. "W-What??"  
  
"however..." Sans' grin widened. "i do have a secret secret triple-secret codeword. which you just said. so, i guess you're qualified."  
  
You groaned and face-palmed. "Leave it to you to have a set-up to prank even time travelers."  
  
Sans laughed at that, relief evident in his voice now that you'd proven that you weren't a threat.  
  
Once his laughter died down, he spoke again, grinning. "man, i wish i could remember what your face must have looked like when you had to give me my secret codeword to get my secret secret triple-secret codeword."  
  
You hesitated briefly. "Er... well, technically I didn't have to. You just gave me the second one."  
  
Sans sobered up, looking at you in confusion. "what? that doesn't make sense. i would never do that. the whole purpose of the two codewords is to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have the ability to travel through time."  
  
"Well... technically I don't." you admitted. "Frisk's the one controlling the timeline. I'm just sort of along for the ride."  
  
"frisk?" Sans asked.  
  
"The kid who came out of the ruins." you clarified. "You gave me the second codeword since you realized I'd need to be able to prove that I'm a friend. Although, you didn't warn me that you might try to KILL me." You glared at him.  
  
Sans smiled sheepishly and shrugged at you. He then sobered up a bit and began to study you, that familiar analyzing look on his face. "so... the kid has time magic..." Sans seemed to consider this for a bit. "given that i've never met you before in this timeline, but we're good enough friends that i gave you my second codeword in the previous timeline, i'm going to have to assume that you've come back in time more than a couple minutes."  
  
You grimaced and nodded. "Yes... I'm not sure how far back this reset was... but the one before that was three years."  
  
Sans stared at you in shock. "multiple resets? three **years**?" he sputtered for a few moments. "and i **knew** the last one was coming and gave you my codeword??"  
  
You nodded. "The last one was... necessary..." you hedged.  
  
"necessary..." Sans repeated. He gave you a bitter smile. "must have been pretty bad for me to knowingly agree to that."  
  
You winced at the recollection. "...It was the stuff of **nightmares**..." you emphasized.  
  
Sans' pupils went dark as he caught your meaning loud and clear. "so... they're not just dreams..."  
  
"B-But that's all over now, Sans!" you tried to reassure him. "That's why we're here again. To set things right now that we've contained the one who caused the last reset!"  
  
Sans' pupils returned and he glowered at you. "i thought you said that the kid was the one who controlled the timeline?"  
  
"They are... but there's someone else... someone with the power to control other people. They had control of Frisk last time, and did HORRIBLE things..." you took a moment to collect yourself as you tried not to focus on what had happened in the previous reset. "Long story short, Chara, the adopted human child of Asgore and Toriel, is a mage whose soul has been trapped down here since their death. They were bitter and lonely and, well, pretty messed up in the head. They learned to use their magic to control other people, and used it to force Frisk to Reset and... and begin killing everyone. I arrived while they were fighting you, and together we managed to free Frisk and trap Chara. My barriers can block magic, so I was able to keep them imprisoned through the reset."  
  
Sans' eyes narrowed. "they're here? still imprisoned?"  
  
"Yes." You could see the same thought processes whirling through this Sans' skull as they had in the previous Sans. "And, no, you cannot destroy their soul. While it was reluctant, you agreed along with everyone else to keep them imprisoned and offered at least the chance to be reformed. They're sick, but... it's not entirely their fault."  
  
Sans grunted in annoyance. "it would be simpler and safer to just put them down, if they're really that dangerous."  
  
"Probably... but everyone deserves a chance. I mean, just look at me? I was once considered a dangerous enemy to monsterkind... er... well, I guess I'm still considered that, because of the Resets... but anyway, the point is that all it took was one person, one monster, to give me a chance, and now here I am, doing everything in my power to ensure that monsters are not only freed, but will never be forced back down here by a Reset again!"  
  
Sans took in your determined look and felt a bit of relief. "heh... i guess you've got a point there, pal."  
  
"Anyway, I probably shouldn't keep you here any longer. You're supposed to be protecting Frisk on their journey through the underground, and I don't want to risk the timeline getting messed up because you're here instead of watching over them."  
  
"heh... i think you overestimate my protection, but i can understand the sentiment." Sans smiled lazily at you, before pushing off from the pillar he was leaning against. "i guess i'll see you around, pal."  
  
"Oh! W-Wait! Before you go, w-would it be possible..." You hesitated.  
  
"would what be possi-" Sans' question was interrupted as your stomach rumbled loudly in the quiet hall.  
  
You flushed with embarrassment and Sans' grin widened. "seems like you're about to start sprouting feathers."  
  
Your face twisted in confusion. "What??"  
  
Sans winked at you. "after all, you sound absolutely **raven** ous."  
  
You groaned at the terrible joke, covering your face with your palm. "Could you please just get me something to eat?" you grumbled, then your head shot up and you added, "And some books or something? I'm bored out of my mind here."  
  
Sans chuckled. "sure, sure. wouldn't want you to go **cuckoo** , after all."  
  
You sighed, but couldn't help the slight smile of appreciation. "Thanks, Sans."  
  
"no problem, pal." Sans smiled back.  
  
Then, in the blink of an eye, he was gone.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You were a strange human, that was for sure.  
  
Sans had taken the time to check up on the kid, Frisk you'd called them, as they entered Waterfall. He'd taken them back to Grillby's and chatted with them a bit before sending them on their way. That kid sure was something. At least now he understood how they could be so confident in their actions... they'd already done all this before.  
  
Sans returned home after that, and discovered a note from Papyrus telling him he was going to go report to Undyne in Waterfall about the human's... "escape". He'd taken advantage of his brother's absence to grab some leftovers from the fridge and gather up a few books from both their collections, since he wasn't sure which you'd prefer, or if you'd even care.  
  
After taking his shortcut back to the Judgment Hall, he'd found you seated on the floor near a pair of barriers. One was larger and empty, which you explained is what had protected you from the Reset, and the other was smaller and contained a human soul with a disturbing amount of LOVE. He'd been so intent on examining it, he almost missed the odd look on your face when you opened the container of spaghetti.  
  
"what's wrong? something **spa-ghetting** you down?" he asked.  
  
"N-No! It's nothing..." you replied hastily, shoving a forkful of pasta in your mouth.  
  
Sans couldn't help but chuckle as you lurched, valiantly fighting your gag reflex as you quickly chewed and swallowed the bite of pasta.  
  
"Ugh... God..." you coughed. Had Papyrus' cooking before you met him always been this bad? Maybe it just seemed that way in comparison to after you taught him to cook.  
  
"heheheh!" Sans chuckled. "isn't my bro's cooking the greatest? best in all the underground." he winked at you.  
  
"As much as I love Papyrus, you and I both know how bad his cooking tastes..." You grumbled poking at the pasta, debating if you were hungry enough to continue eating it.  
  
"true, he doesn't exactly have a knack for flavor, but you won't find a better healing food in all of the underground." Sans gestured to your arm.  
  
You glanced down and your eyes widened as you saw that your wound was healed. You immediately checked the other cuts and bruises and found they were all gone, too.  
  
"Freaking hell... I've NEVER healed that quick, even with monster food. Guess I shouldn't have avoided Papyrus' cooking all those times I was hurt." You mumbled out loud.  
  
Sans smiled understandingly. It wasn't pleasant going down, but Paps' home cooking really was the best medicine. "now that you're all healed up, i can take that back and get you something else if you want?"  
  
You considered his offer and your heart twinged at the idea of rejecting the spaghetti. It felt almost like rejecting Papyrus himself. Which was ridiculous. It was just spaghetti, after all. Really gross, simultaneously burned and undercooked, spaghetti covered in glittery tomato chunks.  
  
But... It was also something Papyrus put his heart and soul into making. He loved cooking. It was the culmination of all his fire, his excitement, his passion...  
  
...And it was the closest you could get to enjoying a meal with Papyrus himself.  
  
Sans eyed you curiously as you stared deeply into the pasta. He'd expected you to quickly agree that, now that your wounds were healed, you'd prefer something a bit more palatable. Instead, you were staring at the spaghetti with this forlorn look on your face.  
  
"...No thanks... This is fine." You quietly spoke up, taking another bite of the spaghetti.  
  
Sans stared at you in surprise, his eyes narrowing in thought as he watched you continue to choke down the pasta. "alright, pal. if that's really what you want. anyway, i should get back and check on the kid. i'll be back later."  
  
"Thanks, Sans." you smiled gently at him.  
  
Sans lazily smiled back before walking away, his mind whirling.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Sans continued to visit, bringing food, new things to entertain and help make you a bit more comfortable, and, of course, news of Frisk's journey. You would laugh and smile as you told him bits about your own time with the monsters of the underground.  
  
You talked about how you became friends with Undyne... after she'd nearly killed you. You told him about her pushing you to learn how to control your magic, and how she'd probably be angry and disappointed that you were so out-of-shape again. Sans had laughed and agreed that you were undoubtedly right, using her frustration with his own slacking as case-in-point.  
  
You spoke fondly of Alphys and her sympathetic kindness. She'd been the first monster after your reveal as the barrier mage to take the chance of extending her hand in friendship. You smiled as you told him how the two of you would gush over technology and anime. Sans was happy to hear that his shy, reclusive friend had, or would, finally have the chance to come out of her shell.  
  
You told him of Mettaton's fame on the surface, and that he had apparently learned to stop being so selfish. Well, mostly. You told him how Mettaton used his fame and fortune to help his once forgotten friends achieve their own dreams, and to help bring your own troubling misfortune to light and garner sympathy and support for you in your darkest hour.  
  
Throughout it all, though, he noticed a pattern. When the conversation would slow, or he would excuse himself to check up on Frisk or his brother, your joyful, animated expression would start to grow subdued. You'd smile and wave him off, sure, but you didn't exactly have a good poker face. The sadness that gnawed at you as you spoke of these times and experiences that technically never were was palpable.  
  
Nowhere was this more prevalent than when you spoke about his brother. Sans still wasn't entirely sure what your relationship with Papyrus had been, but the intensity of your reaction spoke of your closeness.  
  
"...and then, Papyrus plopped me right down on Asgore's lap so that I could tell 'Santa' what I wanted for Christmas! And this was well before Asgore and I started to make amends with each other, so, as you can imagine, it was INCREDIBLY awkward!" you let out a strained laugh.  
  
Sans chuckled in response. "i'll bet asgore's face **kringled** in embarrassment, too."  
  
You let out a short, breathless laugh. "Yeah, something like that."  
  
There was another awkward pause as you became lost in your thoughts.  
  
"the kid should be here, soon." Sans broke the silence. "they were making their way through the core the last time i saw them."  
  
"Thank god..." you sighed in relief. You weren't sure how long it had taken, what with the Loads and Resets mucking with your sense of timing, but it certainly felt like you'd been down here a long time.  
  
Wordlessly, the two of you settled down to wait for Frisk's arrival.  
  
Sans leaned against a pillar pretending to doze as he subtly watched you flip through some of the books he'd brought you. He'd gotten a good chuckle earlier when you'd opened up his joke book, only to find a quantum physics book inside... then opened that to find a joke book... then a quantum physics book... before snapping the whole thing shut.  
  
You could tell a lot about a person by the types of books they read. He'd already realized you were a reasonably intelligent person with a good sense of humor, so he wasn't surprised that you had at least some interest in both his text and joke books, and his brother's puzzle books. What did surprise him was that you had already gone back several times to reread Fluffy Bunny's Big Adventure. It was the only children's book he'd brought, mostly for giggles. His brother was a bit unique. He was definitely an adult, but he'd maintained his child-like wonder and enthusiasm. It sometimes made it hard for Sans to see that he wasn't a baby bones anymore. Not that he'd ever discourage it. The world they lived in was a bleak one, and he admired his brother's ability to not let it drag him down.  
  
Still... your interest in the book was a little perplexing. You did not seem the type to enjoy it with the same child-like wonder as Papyrus. You even seemed a little melancholy when you would flip through the pages. Perhaps your interest was related to Papyrus himself? You had told him that Papyrus had befriended you before anyone knew who you were, and had continued to support you unwaveringly through everything. The admiration you felt for his brother was clear as day, however, your reaction whenever something about Papyrus came up didn't quite match up to your reaction to everyone else. Your reaction was more pronounced, more intense... and you struggled harder to hide your melancholy.  
  
The light pattering of footsteps against tile drew Sans out of his musings. The kid, Frisk, was finally here.  
  
Sans stepped forward, coming face-to-face with the child just as the bell tolls marked the hour.  
  
Sans began to speak, his voice deep and serious. "So, you finally made it. The end of your journey is at hand. In a few moments, you will meet the king. Together... You will determine the future of this world. That's then. Now. You will be judged. You will be judged for your every action. You will be judged for every EXP you've earned. What's EXP? It's an acronym. It stands for ' execution points.' A way of quantifying the pain you have inflicted on others. When you kill someone, your EXP increases. When you have enough EXP, your LOVE increases. LOVE, too, is an acronym. It stands for 'Level of Violence.' A way of measuring someone's capacity to hurt. The more you kill, the easier it becomes to distance yourself. The more you distance yourself, the less you will hurt. The more easily you can bring yourself to hurt others."  
  
Frisk waited patiently as Sans gave his speech, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of their mouth.  
  
Sans took in a breath and leveled his gaze on Frisk. His permanent grin widened slightly and the tension left his body. "... but you. you never gained any LOVE. 'course, that doesn't mean you're completely innocent or naive. just that you kept a certain tenderness in your heart. no matter the struggles or hardships you faced... you strived to do the right thing. you refused to hurt anyone. even when you ran away, you did it with a smile. you never gained LOVE, but you gained love. does that make sense? maybe not. ... now. you're about to face the greatest challenge of your entire journey. your actions here... will determine the fate of the entire world. if you refuse to fight... asgore will take your soul and destroy humanity. but if you kill asgore and go home... monsters will remain trapped underground. what will you do? ... well, if i were you, i would have thrown in the towel by now. but you didn't get this far by giving up, did you? that's right. you have something called 'determination.' so as long as you hold on... so as long as you do what's in your heart... i believe you can do the right thing."  
  
Frisk smiled at Sans. 'I won't let you down, Sans! You'll see!'  
  
Sans chuckled. "so i've been assured." He glanced your way.  
  
"Soon, we'll all go to the surface together." you agreed from where you'd been watching things unfold.  
  
Frisk nodded in agreement. 'Sorry it took so long. I had to wait for Undyne to build up the courage to send a letter to Alphys.'  
  
"O... kay? And this was necessary?" you asked, confused.  
  
'Very necessary.' Frisk responded, a sly look on their face.  
  
Sans chuckled. "so, are those two finally done dancing around the subject of their love of each other, then?"  
  
'Yep!' Frisk winked suggestively. They then turned back to you, the look on their face serious. 'There is one thing we need to deal with before I go to face Asgore, though.'  
  
"Oh? What's that?" You asked.  
  
Frisk glanced hesitantly at Sans. 'It's... it's something that needs to remain a secret between us, otherwise things might not turn out the same. Sorry, Sans. Could you wait outside the room?'  
  
Sans eyed Frisk curiously, but then nodded in agreement. "you do what you gotta do, kid. we're all counting on you. good luck."  
  
'Thanks, Sans.' Frisk waved at Sans as he walked off and disappeared.  
  
Once you were both sure that Sans was out of earshot, Frisk returned their attention to you.  
  
"So, what's up, Frisk?" You asked, keeping your voice low.  
  
'We need a way to protect your soul.' Frisk stated, a serious look on their face.  
  
"Protect my soul?? Is it going to be in danger??" You were slightly bewildered.  
  
Frisk nodded. 'It is. Most won't know it, even after the fact, but Flowey is going to absorb the six human souls and then almost every monster soul in the underground.'  
  
"W-What?!" You exclaimed, then immediately quieted down. "I know Flowey was your friend on the surface, but wasn't he responsible for all the murders and resets before you fell down here? Him having that kind of power just seems like a bad idea."  
  
'I know it seems bad, but it all works out in the end. Flowey's the only one who can absorb both human and monster souls, making him the only one with the power to break the barrier without you or I dying."  
  
"But wouldn't absorbing the monsters' souls kill them??"  
  
'No. Unlike humans, monster bodies are comprised of their magic and their souls. It's difficult, but it's possible for Flowey to absorb the monsters without killing them. With us, though, he can only take out souls from our physical bodies, which would kill us.' Frisk explained.  
  
"I see... I know you've done this before, and I trust you, but I'm having a hard time imagining Flowey not letting the power go to his head."  
  
'It starts off bad, but, eventually, having those souls inside him reminds him of his conscience, and he does the right thing.' Frisk assures you.  
  
"If you say so, Frisk. But what does this have to do with me?"  
  
Frisk squirmed uncertainly. 'When Flowey absorbs the monster souls in the underground, it's possible he might absorb yours as well. He'll intentionally leave my soul alone, because this is all a game to him, and I'm the one he's playing with, but if he absorbs your soul along with all the monsters, that would give him the equivalent power of eight human souls...'  
  
"I-I see..." You could see how that would be a problem, especially if it took time for Flowey to remember his conscience. From the look on Frisk's face, the fight would be difficult enough with the power of seven human souls at Flowey's disposal. "Do you think my barrier will be enough to protect me?"  
  
Frisk seemed hesitant. 'I don't know. He'll have the power of the six human souls when he does it...'  
  
You glanced back at the barriers containing Chara's soul and the one that had protected you from the Reset. You were starting to regret leaving yours, as now you had no way to get back in. "Damn..."  
  
'There's one possibility that might work...' Frisk signed.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
'You could go stay with Napstablook.' they suggested.  
  
"Uh... and how would that help?"  
  
'I still don't know why, but Napstablook was never absorbed by Flowey. Last time, they told me that the flash of light that was absorbing all the souls knocked on their door and wanted to come in, but they just closed the blinds and ignored it. If you stay with them in their house, you should be safe.'  
  
"That's... really weird." You pointed out. Frisk just shrugged, not really understanding it, either. "I hope you're right about that, otherwise we're in for some trouble."  
  
Frisk nodded solemnly.  
  
With the course of action decided, Frisk went and brought Sans back into the room.  
  
'Sans agreed to take you to Napstablook's house, since you've never been there before. When you get there, just let them know you're a friend of mine and you need a place to stay for a bit. Oh! And just so you know, most monsters only know me as the human right now. They learn my name later.'  
  
"Alright." you turned to Sans. "Thanks everything you've done so far."  
  
"not a problem, pal." You could tell from his expression that Sans was curious about why you needed to go to Napstablook's, but wasn't going to ask. "let's get going, then."  
  
You followed Sans as he started walking out of the room towards Asgore's throne room. Just as the two of you were passing through the doorway, he grabbed hold of your hand and you were both plunged into the void. The next moment, you were somewhere warm and humid, with two odd looking houses in front of you.  
  
"their house is the one on the left." Sans pointed out.  
  
"Thanks, again, Sans." You smiled at him.  
  
"anytime." He smiled back, then turned and walked away.  
  
You approached the house on the left and knocked on the door. A moment later, you saw Napstablook's face peaking at you through the window before they drew the blinds, apparently intent on not interacting with you.  
  
You knocked again, calling out this time. "Napstablook, please open the door! I'm a friend of the human child you met. I need someplace to stay for a little bit, and they told me you might help."  
  
Everything was quiet for a few long moments before the door finally creaked open a bit and Napstablook peaked out. "Y-You know the human?"  
  
"Yes. They're a good friend of mine." You smiled gently at them.  
  
"O-Oh... I-It's always nice to meet a friend of a friend- or, well, an acquaintance, I guess, since I doubt they think of me as more than that..." Napstablook trailed off.  
  
"Of course you're their friend. How could anyone not like such a sweet ghost as you?" You smiled encouragingly at them.  
  
Napstablook blushed and partially faded out from embarrassment over the compliment. "O-Oh! Um... W-Would you like to c-come in?"  
  
"Yes, please."  
  
Napstablook opened the door wider for you.  
  
_"I just hope Frisk is right about this."_ You took a deep breath and headed inside.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Napstablook was a very polite host, if a bit low on self-esteem. The two of you listened to music, ate some sandwiches (Or rather, you tried to), and even laid on the floor to 'feel like garbage' together. It was an oddly amazing experience, and you immediately began to wonder just what was IN ghost food, and if you actually had managed to consume part of it? Or, perhaps, it was just part of Napstablook's odd array of magic?  
  
As Frisk had predicted, you saw an odd light that was oozing magical power peaking through from the other side of the blinds as a knock sounded on the door. Napstablook had briefly contemplated answering it, but decided to continue laying with you and feeling like garbage.  
  
You were safe.  
  
It had been tough to stay put after that. You knew that Frisk was dealing with Flowey right now and, soon, they'd break the barrier. You just had to wait until it was done.  
  
A while later, you felt it...  
  
The ever-present magical presence of the barrier fractured and then... dispersed. It was a weird sensation. You'd actually grown so used to the feel of the barrier that you had stopped noticing it. It was only now that it was gone, though, that you realized just how oppressive it had felt. It was like shedding a piece of clothing that had been restricting your breathing.  
  
Napstablook was staring at the door, his eyes confused but curious. "I-I should go check w-what's going on... P-Please... m-make yourself at home..."  
  
You watched as Napstablook phased through their door.  
  
You pulled back the shade and glanced outside. You saw several monsters splayed out on the ground, but, thankfully, they seemed to be waking up just fine.  
  
_"It's done. Everyone's free now. Should I head for the cave entrance, or should I wait for Frisk or Sans to let me know it's safe?"_ You hemmed and hawed a bit, and ultimately decided you should head back to the Judgment Hall.  
  
You quickly scrawled out a note thanking Napstablook for their hospitality before focusing and Blinking.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The Judgment Hall was just as you'd left it, including Chara's prison.  
  
You let out a sigh of relief. _"I don't know what we would have done if this barrier shattered, too."_  
  
You'd known that was unlikely to happen, since it was separate from the barrier that kept monsters trapped down here, but you'd still had that tiny amount of doubt.  
  
_"We're going to have to set up some guards soon. It won't be long before the residents of the underground begin filing through here on their way to the surface."_ You noted.  
  
You turned towards the exit of the hall and began quietly moving towards the exit to the underground. You passed through Asgore's throne room, and down the long hallway. You peaked through the archway towards where the barrier once stood and saw your friends all gathered around something on the ground in various states of worry and panic.  
  
There was Toriel, Asgore, Alphys, Undyne, Sans, and... Papyrus.  
  
Your heart clenched at the sight of Papyrus, standing there with tears streaming down his face. Finally getting to see him again was a bittersweet feeling, but... something was wrong.  
  
You ducked and tried to peer between everyone's legs to see what they were all gathered around. There on the ground was something blue and purple.  
  
_"F-Frisk?!"_ your breath caught in your throat as you made out Frisk's prone form laying on the ground.  
  
Before your panic could overwhelm you, though, there was movement. Frisk shifted and winced before sitting up.  
  
"Oh! You are awake! Thank goodness!" Toriel let out a breath of relief.  
  
"W-We were so worried...! It felt like you were out forever!" Alphys said, wringing her hands.  
  
"Yeah! Any longer and I would have freaked out! Tell us next time you decide to take a nap, okay!?" Undyne growled affectionately at Frisk.  
  
"yeah. you made papyrus cry like a baby." Sans smirked.  
  
"WHAT!! I DIDN'T CRY!!! I DON'T CRY!! I JUST... CAUGHT SOMETHING IN MY EYE." Papyrus shouted at Sans.  
  
"what did you catch?" Sans asked, clearly amused.  
  
"TEARS!!!" Papyrus admitted, another tear rolling down his face at the thought of why he'd been so upset.  
  
"Now, now. The important part is that Frisk is all right. Here, Frisk. Why not drink some tea? It'll make you feel better." Asgore rumbled, pulling out a kettle and teacup from his cloak, which looked incredibly tiny and fragile in his massive hands.  
  
"Errr... How about we give them space, first? They must be very exhausted." Toriel emphasized, causing everyone to back off a bit and allow Frisk some breathing room. Her face ten twisted in confusion. "Though, from what, I am not certain. Frisk... We do not remember exactly what happened. There was a flower... And then, everything went white. But now the barrier is gone. When you are ready, we will all return to the surface. It seems the door to the east will lead us there now. But before then... Perhaps you might want to take a walk? You can say goodbye to all of your wonderful friends. Do as you wish. We will all wait for you here." She finished with a smile.  
  
Frisk nodded and signed something you couldn't see from your angle before heading your way.  
  
You ducked back and waited for Frisk to walk through the doorway. As soon as they spotted you, they smiled brightly. 'It's done! We did it!'  
  
"You mean YOU did it." You smiled at them.  
  
Frisk shook their head. 'We did it together. I may have helped free the monsters, but you ensured that, this time, they'll stay free.'  
  
You felt a rush of pride at that. You sobered a bit before speaking. "We still need to set up some sort of guard for Chara."  
  
'I spoke to Sans about that before I confronted Asgore. He agreed to talk to the king about it after the barrier had been broken.'  
  
"Good." you nodded. "So, are you going to take one last look around the underground before leading everyone to the surface?" You asked.  
  
Frisk nodded. 'If I'm going to be a better ambassador this time, I need to take my duties more seriously, and that includes checking up on everyone. And...' Frisk hesitated. 'There's someone else I need to talk to.'  
  
"Do you mean Flowey?" You asked, having noticed the flower's conspicuous absence.  
  
Frisk nodded again. 'Flowey, no... Asriel, deserves freedom just as much as everyone else down here. He was the one to shatter the barrier, after all. He did some terrible things, but that wasn't his fault. He has no soul of his own anymore to guide him. Last time, it took weeks of returning to the ruins day after day before I was able to convince him to come to the surface. Maybe, between the both of us, we can convince him to come with us today? So... will you help me?'  
  
You gave Frisk a wan smile. "As much of a pain as he can be, you're right. Come on, Frisk. Let's go find him."  
  
Frisk smiled up at you then, taking your hand, lead you deeper into the underground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, look! Papyrus FINALLY makes a reappearance! ... A very short reappearance, but at least it's a step in the right direction. Of course, now we've got to go fetch Flowey, so... yeah. The trip to the surface will be a little delayed. But, we're getting pretty close to that point! And once we're there, we can finally begin fixing this mess, and, hopefully, build a brighter future than we had before.


	59. The Lost Prince of Monsters

The underground was bigger than you thought. Although, you supposed it had to be given how many monsters there were. Surely, a smaller space would have limited their population severely.  
  
Though most of the monsters were shocked to see another human, they were all instantly soothed by the fact that Frisk was leading you around introducing you to everyone. It seemed they really had made quite a positive impression for everyone to just accept your presence without hesitation.  
  
The underground was both exciting and beautiful in its own way. Monsters truly had turned their prison into a home. You couldn't help but stare in awe of the various environments and ingenuity that went into improving what would have initially been an empty cave system.  
  
Frisk lead you through the Core, the underground's most famous structure, which provided electricity for its denizens.  
  
Next, you reached MTT Resort. It was a gaudy mess, which made Mettaton's influence quite clear. However, the place was bustling with excitement as monsters had already begun to gather there with their belongings, eager to make the journey to the surface.  
  
Hotland itself was, well, hot. The narrow pathways over molten lava honestly made you nervous, even if you could just Blink to safety if you fell.  
  
"I'm glad I don't live in Hotland..." You grumbled as sweat dripped down your face.  
  
Frisk gave you a vaguely amused look, as if they wanted to say something, but apparently decided against it and stayed silent.  
  
The two of you made your way through Hotland as quickly as possible.  
  
The next place you reached was Waterfall. It was a beautiful place, with the glowing mushrooms and lanterns, tricking streams of water everywhere, and star-like crystals on the ceiling.  
  
The more temperate climate was also a welcome change to the staggering heat of Hotland, even if the natural humidity did nothing to help your sweat-soaked skin.  
  
'These are called echo flowers,' Frisk signed and gestured to one of the many luminous flowers that dotted the path. 'They repeat anything they hear.'  
  
"Uh... Just how exactly can a flower 'hear'? Or repeat anything, for that matter." You asked.  
  
"Uh... Just how exactly can a flower 'hear'? Or repeat anything, for that matter." The flower echoed back, to your mild surprise.  
  
"Oh!" you exclaimed. "Well, that's kind of interesting."  
  
Frisk giggled in response, and the nearby flowers began to echo with a mix of your exclamation and Frisk's giggles. Honestly, it was a bit disorienting to hear your voices being echoed back throughout the marsh.  
  
The two of you moved on.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The first sign that you were near the end of Waterfall was the decreasing humidity and temperature. As it grew colder and colder, you pulled your sweatshirt on, having tied it around your waist since you pulled it off in Hotland.  
  
Besides pulling their hands up into their sleeves, Frisk showed no sign that the growing cold was bothering them. There was no hesitation as they lead you into the large cavern that housed Snowdin Forest.  
  
The place left you with a cold feeling that had nothing to do with the frigid temperature. The last, and only, time you'd been here before was when Flowey had told you that Papyrus was dead.  
  
You froze in place when you came to the spot where Papyrus had died, unable to tear your eyes from the snowy trail.  
  
Frisk had looked back in confusion when they realized you had stopped moving, but they were quick to realize just what was wrong.  
  
Frisk trudged back to you, a mournful, guilty look on their face. 'I'm sorry...' They signed to you.  
  
"It's not your fault..." you murmured back, still unable to drag your eyes from that wretched spot for more than a moment.  
  
The two of you stood there in the cold, bogged down by the memories of events that happened both so recently, and never at all.  
  
"I kind of envy them, you know..." You spoke up quietly. Frisk turned their attention to you, patiently waiting for you to elaborate. "All those people who have no idea just how close they came to destruction... All those people who are just living through this like it hasn't happened before... Able to look forward to the future without worrying over a past that was undone..." You let out a short, bitter laugh. "How nice that must be..."  
  
Frisk gave you a solemn, sympathetic look. 'It's not easy. It never is... It's even harder when you're alone. When you have no one else to turn to. But... we're not alone. We have each other, and all our friends to rely on, even if some of them don't fully understand what's going on, they'll be there for us. We just need to remember that that past is gone now, and embrace the future we have now.'  
  
You gave Frisk an appreciative smile. "Sheesh, kid. Are you sure you're only 10, because I'm pretty sure most 10-year-olds aren't nearly so world-wise as you?"  
  
Frisk returned your smile and puffed out their chest proudly before grabbing your sleeve and tugging you forward. 'Come on! I want to show you around Snowdin Town! We need to make sure some of your memories of this place are good. After all, this is where Papyrus and Sans are from!'  
  
"Alright, alright." You agreed, letting Frisk drag you down the road towards the quiet little hamlet nestled in the snow.  
  
You took in the sights of Snowdin Town as Frisk pulled you along, pointing out its features. It really was a quaint little town and, despite the excited hustle and bustle of its residents, it felt... peaceful.  
  
'This is where Sans and Papyrus live!' Frisk pointed out the first house you came across. It actually looked very similar to their house on the surface, if a bit smaller.  
  
The two of you continued forward, and Frisk pointed out everything, and everyone, along the way.  
  
'That's the Librarby, and there's the town mayor, Barry! Hi, Barry!' They stopped to wave at a bear monster, who smiled and waved back.  
  
The next major building you came across was Grillby's. 'This is where Grillby's bar used to be. Oh! And there's the town's Christmas tree!' Frisk pointed out a decorated tree in the center of the road.  
  
You were just coming up to a small group of monsters who were talking excitedly about going to the surface when you noticed a familiar face. "Ah! It's Azzy!"  
  
Azzy looked towards you, curiously. "Another human??" He then spotted Frisk pulling you over to him. "Oh! Hello, Frisk. Is this a friend of yours?"  
  
'Yes! Her name is _____, and I'm showing her around the underground.' Frisk explained.  
  
"Oh! Well, it's nice to meet you, _____. I'd introduce myself, but you seem to already know my name." He looked at Frisk, curiously. "I'm a bit surprised you would mention me to her before we've met."  
  
"Ah, um, yes..." You stumbled over your words a bit. "You see, Azzy, we were hoping you might help out with a very important job..."  
  
"A job??"  
  
'Yes. The king is going to need some volunteers to guard a human soul in the Hall of Judgment.' Frisk signed.  
  
"Erm... Well, that does sound important, but why are you asking me? I am merely a collector of books. Wouldn't a job like that be more suited to the Royal Guard?" He asked.  
  
"You... probably wouldn't believe us if we told you right now, but please... Do us a favor and check out the soul yourself before deciding. I'm sure you will understand once you see it." You kept your words vague, unsure if Azzy wanted the nearby monsters to know of his unique status.  
  
Azzy gave you a calculating look, realizing there was more to it than what you had said, before nodding his head. "Very well. I will do that."  
  
'Thanks, Azzy!' Frisk smiled appreciatively at him before gripping your sleeve once more. 'Come on! It's a long walk to the ruins.' Before tugging you along once again.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The two of you took a break once you reached Toriel's home, just inside the ruins. Though Frisk still seemed full of energy, you were tired from your nearly non-stop journey.  
  
"Sheesh... What exactly do you run on to still be moving?" You asked them as you sat by the fire, rubbing the feeling back into your chilled extremities.  
  
'I run on Determination!' Frisk responded, flexing and shooting you a wink.  
  
You chuckled lightly at the precocious child's antics.  
  
You were feeling much better after a few minutes of warming up, and finally noticed that Frisk had gone oddly quiet. You looked at them and saw the melancholy look on their face as they stared aimlessly into the fire.  
  
"Penny for your thoughts?" you asked them gently.  
  
Frisk started out of their trance, and shot you a glance. 'We're not far, now. We just need to pass through the ruins, and then we'll find Asriel...' They hesitated a moment. 'I'm a bit worried that he will refuse to come with us today. I'm worried that he'll be down here all alone...'  
  
"Well, how did you finally convince him to come to the surface last time?" You asked.  
  
'I don't know. Mostly, we just talked. Flowey would talk about his own experience with the resets. He talked about helping everyone... hurting everyone... Doing anything and everything he could to mix things up. As I continued to visit and told him about how things were on the surface, his stories got worse and worse. I think... I think he was trying to chase me away. To convince me that he wasn't worth saving. Eventually, though, he relented, but only under the condition that I never tell mom and dad, or anyone, who he really was.'  
  
"Then we'll just have to talk his ear off until he agrees to come with us." You smiled cheekily. "Don't worry about that, Frisk. If there's any team that can convince him to come to the surface, it's you and me."  
  
'I hope so...' Frisk responded, returning to staring into the fire.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
The walk through the ruins had been comparatively shorter and easier than the rest of the underground. Although there were definitely parts the two of you hadn't explored, it was still a bit startling to think that, immediately after the barrier had been created, the entire monster population had crammed itself into this little corner of the underground, devastated and afraid that their human enemies would be coming to finish the job.  
  
They almost hadn't been wrong about that assumption.  
  
Frisk had been pretty quiet since the two of you left Toriel's house, smiling weakly as they greeted some of the Froggits and Migosps along the way.  
  
Eventually, the two of you reached the end of the caverns. In the center of the room was a patch of golden flowers, a small beam of light filtering down onto them from above.  
  
Near the patch, was a monster child. He was wearing a striped shirt, and was staring down at the patch of flowers with a forlorn expression. His white fur and long ears made the child unmistakable.  
  
He was Asriel... child of Asgore and Toriel... prince of the underground kingdom of monsters... and the original form of the soulless creature known as Flowey.  
  
Despite what your eyes were telling you, you stared in shock. How was this possible? Asriel was Flowey the flower now... Were you wrong about who this child was? But if he wasn't Asriel, who could he possibly be?  
  
Your doubts were dispelled, but your confusion remained as Frisk approached him.  
  
Asriel turned and looked at Frisk in surprise. "Frisk...?" His eyes looked past Frisk as he noticed you, as well. "Who...?"  
  
Frisk signed something to him that you couldn't see from behind them, but you assumed was an introduction, based on Asriel's response.  
  
"A friend of yours? Oh! Um... It's nice to meet you, _____. My name is Asriel." He said to you politely.  
  
You were mildly taken-aback by the friendly response, completely lacking in the bitterness or sarcasm you'd come to associate with Flowey. "Oh! Uh... It's nice to meet you, too." you fumbled.  
  
Asriel turned back to Frisk and whispered warily. "Is it really a good idea for her to be here? You know I can't stay this way for long..."  
  
'She already knows.' Frisk signed back.  
  
"W-What?? You told her??" Asriel looked mortified.  
  
"Technically, Frisk isn't the one who told me..." You murmured.  
  
'That's not important right now. Asriel... We want you to come to the surface with us.' Frisk jumped straight to the point.  
  
Asriel seemed surprised for a brief moment, before a sad smile crossed his face. "You don't need to worry about me, Frisk. Someone has to take care of these flowers."  
  
'But who's going to take care of you, Asriel?' Frisk pleaded.  
  
"Frisk, please leave me alone. I can't come back. I just can't, okay? I... I don't want to break their hearts all over again. It's better if they never see me..." Asriel responded, turning away from Frisk, looking back down at the flowers. He seemed wracked with guilt and grief.  
  
'That's not true!' Frisk signed as they moved back into his line of sight.  
  
Asriel was quiet for a few long moments before he spoke up again. "Hey... Let me ask you a question. Frisk... Why did you come here? Everyone knows the legend, right...? 'Travelers who climb Mt. Ebott are said to disappear.' ... Frisk. Why would you ever climb a mountain like that? Was it foolishness? Was it fate? Or was it... Because you...?"  
  
A heavy silence hung over the three of you as the unsaid question lingered in the air:  
  
_~Or was it because you wanted to disappear?~_  
  
Frisk looked pained by the question, and you remembered what the woman at the base of Mt. Ebott had told you. Your soul clenched painfully at the thought of any child, let alone one so full of love, being driven to the point where dying upon the slopes of Mt. Ebott seemed to be a reasonable solution.  
  
"Well... Only you know the answer, don't you...?" Asriel broke the silence, giving Frisk a sad, understanding smile. He glanced up at the light filtering down from above. "I know why Chara climbed the mountain. It wasn't for a very happy reason. Frisk... I'll be honest with you. Chara hated humanity. Why they did, they never talked about it. But they felt very strongly about that."  
  
Both you and Frisk knew why. Chara had been hurt deeply by humanity. Over and over again. Time after time. Life after life. You couldn't be sure why Chara had told you, but not Asriel. Perhaps they felt he wouldn't, or couldn't, understand like you could. Perhaps they had been trying to put their awful past behind them. Or perhaps... Some part of them wanted to protect their one and only friend from the horrors they had known.  
  
Frisk moved forward and hugged Asriel consolingly as he talked about his dear friend. Asriel smiled sadly in response when he pulled away.  
  
"Frisk... You really ARE different from Chara. In fact, though you have similar, uh, fashion choices... I don't know why I ever acted like you were the same person. Maybe... The truth is... Chara wasn't really the greatest person." Asriel admitted ruefully. "While, Frisk... You're the type of friend I wish I always had. So maybe I was kind of projecting a little bit. Let's be honest. I did some weird stuff as a flower." Asriel let out a quiet, self-deprecating laugh.  
  
'Asriel...' Frisk signed. 'It doesn't have to be this way. You don't have to stay here all alone. You don't deserve that. No one does.'  
  
"Don't I?" Asriel asked. "There's one last thing I feel like I should tell you. Frisk, when Chara and I combined our souls together... The control over our body was actually split between us. They were the one that picked up their own empty body. And then, when we got to the village... They were the one that wanted to... to use our full power. I was the one that resisted. And then, because of me, we..."Asriel hesitated and closed his eyes, smiling bitterly. "Well, that's why I ended up a flower." Before Frisk could respond to that, Asriel continued. "Frisk... This whole time, I've blamed myself for that decision. That's why I adopted that horrible view of the world. 'Kill or be killed.'" Asriel opened his eyes and his guilty expression morphed into surprise, and then hope as he seemed to realize something. "But now... After meeting you... Frisk, I don't regret that decision anymore. I did the right thing. If I killed those humans... We would have had to wage war against all of humanity. And in the end, everyone went free, right? I still feel kind of sad knowing how long it took... so maybe it wasn't a perfect decision. But you can't regret hard choices your whole life, right? Well, not that I have much of a life left. But that's beside the point." Asriel finished with a grim smile on his face.  
  
"We've all had to make tough choices." You finally spoke up. Asriel looked to you, startled, having forgotten you were even there. "And we all need to own up to the consequences of our actions, be they for better or worse. That does not mean, however, that we are beyond redemption if we make bad choices. Everyone deserves a chance to prove they can be a better person."  
  
"I thought you already knew..." Asriel smiled grimly at you. "I'm not always like this. Soon, the magic from the souls I temporarily absorbed will fade, and I'll go back to being Flowey the flower. I'll go back to being a terrible creature without a conscience. Without a soul."  
  
"Tell me... What sorts of things did you do when you had the power to Reset?" You asked.  
  
"W-What??" Asriel blushed furiously in shame and embarrassment. He looked away from you when you continued to watch him, patiently waiting for an answer. "I did terrible things... I hurt everyone. I... I killed people just to see how everyone else would react. All because I was BORED..."  
  
"Is that all?" You asked.  
  
"I-" Asriel hesitated, unsure of what you wanted.  
  
"Are you saying you never befriended anyone? Not even once?" you prompted.  
  
"No, I didn't say that. I did befriend everyone. It's how I started off until I got bored of it and I started wondering what they'd do if I... wasn't so nice..." Asriel admitted.  
  
"Well, then, there's your problem." You nodded.  
  
"I-I'm sorry??" Asriel asked, confused.  
  
"When you're Flowey, you're not a 'terrible creature'. You're simply amoral. Your actions were never about being good or evil, were they? They were simply your attempts to entertain yourself."  
  
"Well... I suppose so..." Asriel admitted reluctantly.  
  
'You want to be a good person, don't you Asriel?' Frisk asked, catching on to what you were doing.  
  
"Well, of course I do, but when I'm Flowey-"  
  
"-You lack the capacity to properly distinguish right from wrong." You finished for him.  
  
Asriel nodded.  
  
'That's why you should come with us, Asriel!'  
  
"What?? No, how does that make any sense?" Asriel asked.  
  
"Because, if you want to be a good person, but don't have a moral compass of your own, you're going to need someone who can guide you." You concluded.  
  
"I couldn't ask anyone to do that for me..."  
  
'You don't have to ask, Asriel.' Frisk smiled kindly at him.  
  
Tears were starting to stream from Asriel's eyes. "You can't really mean that... After everything I did as Flowey..."  
  
You let out a short, humorless bark of laughter. "Trust me, kid. You're not the only one here with skeletons in their closet, and I don't just mean Papyrus and Sans."  
  
Asriel looked at you curiously. "What do you mean?"  
  
You leveled a mournful look on the child. "Let's just say your dad is NOT going to be happy to see me..."  
  
"What?? Why??" Asriel asked, a morbidly curious look on his face.  
  
You sighed and steeled yourself to tell him. "Because I'm the reason the barrier exists in the first place."  
  
"You WHAT?!" Asriel exclaimed in shock, causing you to wince slightly.  
  
"You're not the only one who's had to struggle with accepting the choices they've made. I don't hate monsters. I never have. But I was in a terrible situation and chose the most selfish option. Maybe if I hadn't, monsters would never have been imprisoned down here. Maybe you wouldn't be suffering as you are now. Or, maybe, with no barrier to contend with, monsters would have been wiped out hundreds of years ago. What could have happened doesn't matter. What matters now is what actually came about as a result of my choices, and the fact that I'm doing everything I can to make amends for it." You told him somberly.  
  
Asriel considered you for several long moments. "I can see why Frisk considers you a friend. Maybe you've done some bad things, but that doesn't make you a bad person."  
  
"Nor do your actions as Flowey make you inherently bad." You pushed.  
  
Asriel gave you a soft smile. "Thanks..."  
  
'Everyone has their flaws, Asriel. Everyone makes mistakes. But what are friends for if not to help each other?' Frisk gave you a significant look, remembering their promise to not try and shoulder their burdens all by themself anymore. 'Please... Come with us... You won't regret it. I promise.'  
  
Asriel seemed to waver a bit before speaking up quietly. "Alright..."  
  
Frisk let out a joyous laugh and pulled you and Asriel into a hug.  
  
Once they released the two of you, Asriel spoke up. "I just have one condition... You can't tell mom or dad, or anyone, who I really am, alright? I don't... I don't want them to know what I've become..."  
  
"Are you sure?" You asked. "They might be more understanding than you think..."  
  
Asriel nodded. "I... I know they'd love me, even as Flowey. I've... I've already seen it. But... it's painful to watch them treat me with so much love... Especially when I can't reciprocate."  
  
Frisk nodded understandingly. 'Don't worry. We won't tell anyone.'  
  
"Thanks. I guess... I guess we'll just have to wait until I change back into Flowey before we can go, then."  
  
Frisk hesitated uncertainly before signing. 'There's... one last thing you should know...'  
  
"What's that, Frisk?" Asriel asked.  
  
'It's about Chara...' Frisk signed.  
  
"What about Chara?" Asriel asked, a worried expression on his face.  
  
Frisk struggled as they tried to decide how to tell Asriel what had happened. Their half-started attempts were interrupted as you gently placed a hand on Asriel's shoulder.  
  
"You might want to sit down for this..."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
It had been difficult telling Asriel about the most recent Resets. About how Chara had intentionally ripped away all the progress you all had made on the surface and used Frisk's body and powers to rampage across the underground. Despite admitting, himself, that Chara wasn't a very good person, Asriel still felt that brotherly protectiveness over the wayward child. He had been both saddened and relieved to learn of Chara's imprisonment. He was upset that Chara would remain imprisoned down here while he got to go to the surface, but also understood why it had to be that way, and was grateful that at least Chara was going to be given a chance to become a better person rather than having their soul destroyed like Sans had wanted.  
  
It wasn't long afterwards that the lingering magic allowing Asriel to maintain his form and feelings faded, leaving behind the bitter little flower.  
  
Frisk gave Flowey a mournful look.  
  
"What?" Flowey snapped grouchily. "It's not like you didn't know this was going to happen. Don't tell me you're having second thoughts about bringing me along?" He sneered.  
  
Frisk shook their head. 'Of course not. Whether you're Asriel or Flowey, you're still my friend. And friends stick together!'  
  
"Ugh. You're going to make me gag." Flowey grumbled, but the slight blush on his face seemed to indicate he was pleased that Frisk still wanted to be his friend.  
  
Frisk ran over to the side wall of the cavern, where several empty flower pots sat. They picked out one that was still in good shape and brought it back. 'Here. Get in.'  
  
"What? Am I suppose to become your houseplant now or something?" Flowey asked snidely.  
  
'Of course not. It's for transport. You didn't think I was going to make you stay outside, did you? Or maybe you just thought mom would let you burrow through the floors?' Frisk smirked mischievously at Flowey.  
  
Flowey sputtered a bit before grunting in acquiescence and pulling himself up and into the pot. "Fine, but when we get to the surface, we're getting me a better planter! This one's so plain and BORING."  
  
'Sure!' Frisk beamed at him before turning to you. 'Would you mind taking us back? I'm sure everyone's eager to get their first look at the surface.'  
  
"Of course! I'll have us there in the **blink** of an eye." You winked knowingly at Frisk as you took their hand.  
  
Flowey glowered suspiciously. "Just what is that suppose to me-"  
  
***CRACK***  
  
Flowey's vines were wrapped all along Frisk's arm as he clung to them for dear life, his expression shocked.  
  
"Dammit! You didn't tell me you could teleport like that smiley trashbag!" Flowey glowered at you.  
  
You could barely stifle your chuckles as Frisk tried to scold him for his language while still tangled in his vines.  
  
The three of you now stood in the Hall of Judgment. You immediately walked over to the secluded corner to check on Chara, and Frisk followed behind.  
  
Flowey's grumbling went silent as Chara's prison came into view. He stared up at the corrupted soul of his best friend as it pulsated with its ire.  
  
"Chara... So, it really is you..." Flowey murmured. "Heh... Even after all these years, you're still clinging ruthlessly to what little life you have left, huh?" Flowey grinned sardonically. "I guess that makes two of us." He let out a bitter laugh. "I guess this is what we get for thinking such a foolhardy plan was a good idea. I can't feel anything and you... you refuse to." Flowey's expression went blank. "Maybe... Maybe someday we'll both find the strength to let go of this sham we call our 'lives', and finally move on. Until then, though, even if I'm not always here, I'll always be looking out for you. After all, you're my best friend, Chara."  
  
You'd never seen Flowey seem so sincere and solemn. Perhaps it was the lingering effects of the magic that had allowed him to take on Asriel's shape once again, or maybe his love for his brother was so great that not even the absence of his soul could completely erase it.  
  
"We'll visit as often as we can, Chara. You don't have to be alone anymore. I promise." Frisk murmured in their quiet voice.  
  
Flowey looked up at Frisk startled by their voice before trying, and failing, to sneer derisively, at them, instead winding up with a look somewhere between disbelief and appreciation. "You really are too good for this world, aren't you?"  
  
Frisk shrugged, returning to signing. 'I just treat others the way I would want to be treated. I don't know why that's so surprising.'  
  
You turned sharply at the sound of approaching footsteps, but relaxed immediately upon seeing who it was.  
  
"sheesh. we haven't even set up a proper guard rotation, and the little inmate already has visitors?" Sans walked up to your group, with Azzy following close behind him. He looked at each of you, and his eyes stopped on Flowey, who began to squirm under his gaze. "and you even brought them a flower? you gotta be **pollen** my leg here."  
  
Despite the joke, Sans' gaze on Flowey was... intense. He didn't seem to know Flowey, but it was clear that there was something about him that Sans did NOT like.  
  
'This is my friend, Flowey. Flowey, this is Sans.' Frisk introduced, hoping that Sans would take the hint that Flowey was not to be messed with.  
  
"H-Howdy!" Flowey greeted, his false smile on his face. He looked a bit nervous, probably because he knew EXACTLY what Sans could do, and was feeling vulnerable being limited to the flower pot.  
  
"heya. it's nice to meet you, pal. i'd offer you a handshake, but i'm afraid you'd just **leaf** me hanging." Sans winked at Flowey, keeping his left eye trained on him.  
  
"Hahahahaha! T-That's a good one!" Flowey laughed nervously.  
  
"if you're going to be **staymin** around here, you'll get to hear **planty** more where that came from." Sans gave Flowey a stiff grin.  
  
"M-Maybe another time?" Flowey turned to Frisk, a pleading look on his face once it was turned away from Sans. "We should probably get going. Everybody's waiting."  
  
Frisk nodded understandingly. 'We'll see you all at the cave exit.' They signed before carrying Flowey out of the room, Sans watching until they were out of sight.  
  
"Is there something wrong, Sans?" Azzy asked him.  
  
"there's something about that flower... something... terribly familiar..." Sans mumbled.  
  
"A-Anyway... So, I see you came here like Frisk and I asked, Azzy." You decided it was best to change the subject.  
  
"Ah, yes. I did. And, after seeing them myself, I can see why you thought I would wish to help guard Chara's soul. Although, I don't understand HOW you would know." Azzy was eyeing you curiously.  
  
"you probably told her that same story you told the rest of us, in a previous reset." Sans shrugged nonchalantly.  
  
"A previous reset?" Azzy asked.  
  
"yep. i guess you weren't here when i had to explain everything to asgore, but, remember how you told us that mages and boss monsters have both human and monster ancestry?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"well, let's just say that everyone in the underground right now has a monster somewhere in their family line." Sans smirked as he let Azzy put the pieces together.  
  
It did not take Azzy long at all to understand Sans' meaning. "You both are mages?" He asked.  
  
"Yeah. Frisk has time magic and is able to save, load, and completely reset their progress, and I possess barrier magic." you told him.  
  
"apparently, in the last timeline, chara used their magic to control frisk and go on a murderous rampage. once the two were separated, _____ here used her magic to trap chara's soul so that frisk could reset again and set things right without them interfering again." Sans explained.  
  
"Ah, I see..." Azzy seemed saddened to hear just what Chara had done. He then looked up at you. "So, you are the one who created this barrier..." he gestured towards Chara's prison. "It is the same magic as the barrier that kept us trapped in here all these years... That would make you one of the seven mages... and descended from us..." he murmured.  
  
You nodded. "I am." You fidgeted for a few moments before speaking again. "Look, I know what I did caused a lot of suffering for all monsters, but it was a difficult situation, and I've been doing my best to make up for it, and-"  
  
You cut yourself short when Azzy pulled you into a hug.  
  
"It's alright. You don't need to justify yourself to me. I already know how cruel the world can be, and what it's like to do something you regret afterwards." Azzy soothed. "What matters is that you're striving to improve yourself. To be a better person. That's all I could ever ask for."  
  
You slowly wrapped your arms around Azzy and hugged him back, the feel of his unconditional love and acceptance comforting.  
  
Finally, the two of you parted, and you gave him a grateful smile.  
  
Sans cleared his throat to gain your attention. "as much as i hate breaking up this family reunion, we really should get going. everyone's waiting."  
  
Azzy nodded. "You're right. You two should go on. I'll be starting my first shift with Chara."  
  
Azzy had a wistful look on his face, and you thought you knew why. He was finally free to reunite with Sarah after hundreds of years, and then his feeling of responsibility for Chara anchored him here before he could even step one foot from the caverns. While he might have some time off-duty to venture out, his time would be limited, and his chances of finding Sarah on his own diminished.  
  
"Azzy... You don't have to worry about finding her. I already know where she is."  
  
Azzy blinked at you in surprise. "You do??"  
  
You nodded. "Yes. In this life, at least, her name is Sarah Bolcavich and she lives in the nearby city of Southport."  
  
Azzy took a moment to commit that information to memory. "Thank you, so very, very much." He smiled at you in relief.  
  
"Just, uh, be careful. She lives in kind of a rough part of town." You warned.  
  
Azzy nodded. "I will."  
  
You turned back to Sans who seemed to be waiting to tell you something.  
  
"Alright, I'm ready when you are."  
  
"about that... there's one last thing i should probably tell you..." Sans hedged.  
  
"Is something wrong?" You asked.  
  
"well... it's just that asgore was not very happy when i told him why and, er, how chara was imprisoned."  
  
"I can understand that. He was pretty devastated last time when he recognized Chara's soul..."  
  
"yeah, but that time he also had the weight of the near-destruction of his people on him, too. it's one thing to be told your kid's a genocidal maniac, but it's different to be able to see the devastation with your own eyes. i've got enough standing with the king that he knows i wouldn't lie about something so serious, but he still seems to be in some sort of denial about the whole thing. ironically enough, he seemed to be using you as a scapegoat for his anger." Sans explained.  
  
"O-Oh..." That wasn't good.  
  
"hey, don't let it stress you out too much, pal. i'm sure he just needs times to come to terms with it, and with me and the kid hailing your good graces he's sure to come around. just, uh... you might want to avoid him for the time being..." Sans gave you an awkward attempt at a reassuring smile.  
  
You returned the gesture. "Thanks, Sans. I guess, with the barrier gone, I can just Blink out of here, then."  
  
Sans nodded his agreement with that course of action. "it's been a couple hours since i told him about chara, so maybe asgore's cooled down a bit. if you want, i can gauge how he's feeling and let you know once we've had a chance to settle down outside the underground?" Sans offered.  
  
"Thanks, Sans. I'd appreciate that. Honestly, I think the sooner I can settle things between Asgore and myself this time, the better. I'll wait on the incline to the south of the plateau."  
  
"no problem. i'll see you on the other side, pal." Sans smiled at you and waved goodbye.  
  
You waved goodbye as well before you focused your energy and Blinked once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's right, Asriel! You have to come along, too! After all, 'Ohana' means 'Family'. And Family means no one gets left behind, or forgotten! (Oh god... I think I just mentally created an Undertale AU with Frisk as Lilo and Flowey as Stitch. lol)
> 
> We've finally concluded our business in the underground! It's time for everyone to get their first glimpse of the surface, and finally start to move forward again!


	60. Second Chances

You blinked rapidly as your vision was awash with light. Somehow, you had forgotten just how bright the sun was. Once your eyes adjusted, you looked to the west towards where the sun was just beginning to set. You took in a deep breath of fresh air and stared, briefly stunned by its beauty. It felt like it had been ages since you last saw the sunset. Perhaps it had. However, even your time spent fighting Chara paled in comparison to how long it had been for monsters. Most had only ever heard tales of the sun and sky.  
  
Movement caught your attention and you turned your head just in time to see Frisk lead the monsters on their first steps outside the underground in ages. They, too, took a moment to adjust to the brightness of the outside world, but once they did, they were in awe. They rushed over to the cliff's edge and watched the rapidly reddening sky as the sun began to sink below the horizon. You were careful to keep yourself concealed as you watched them. Their reaction was bittersweet, and you felt both remorse for your part in why they were so awestruck by something as simple as the setting sun, and happy relief that you were able to help make sure they were finally free once and for all.  
  
You watched curiously as Papyrus started to run off, gradually followed by each of the other monsters. You were a bit worried at first, but after a few minutes, they returned to the larger portion of the plateau and began to set up camp. You could only assume that, despite his eagerness to see more of the surface, they had managed to convince Papyrus that it would be safer if they waited until morning.  
  
It also seemed that they had found your tent and supplies. You watched as Papyrus and Undyne carted their 'find' over to Frisk and Toriel, saying something before turning to each other and starting to argue. This devolved into a wrestling match which you could only assume was to determine ownership of the tent. By the time they had finished, Frisk had already settled inside while Toriel stood guard outside next to a campfire she'd set up.  
  
You settled down as you continued to watch the monsters set up more campfires and sleeping arrangements for their impromptu camping trip under the stars. More monster gradually began to venture out of the cave and join them until no more could fit on the plateau.  
  
As the flurry of activity began to die down, your eyes returned unerringly to Papyrus. He was seated at the campfire outside your, now Frisk's, tent, with Toriel, Frisk, Undyne, and Alphys. He was talking animatedly with them, as they all smiled and laughed. What you wouldn't do to be down there with him...  
  
"you know, if i didn't know better, i'd find you crouching in the bushes and watching everyone kind of creepy."  
  
You jumped, startled by the sudden voice behind you before turning to see Sans leaning against a tree.  
  
"Don't sneak up on me like that!" You scolded him.  
  
He just shrugged unapologetically.  
  
"So... how's everything with Asgore?" You asked.  
  
Sans glanced away. "he's still pretty grouchy about the situation, unfortunately. frisk's made it their personal mission to soften him up, though."  
  
You sighed. "I kind of figured it would take time for him to calm down. At least I can be sure it'll happen eventually with Frisk on my side. They're a very compelling kid." You smiled softly.  
  
Sans nodded, then moved to stand next to you, looking towards where Papyrus and Undyne were in some sort of 'heroic pose competition,' much to everyone's delight and amusement. "they seem to be having fun."  
  
You smiled wistfully. "Yeah, they do." Your smile widened proudly as Papyrus posed dramatically, his scarf fluttering behind him as everyone cheered.  
  
"so..." Sans began. "what exactly **was** your relationship to my brother?"  
  
Your head snapped up to look at Sans. He was still looking down at the plateau, seemingly paying you no mind, but you knew better. He was still, and you had his FULL attention.  
  
"W-What do you mean?" You asked, thoughts of Sans' attempts to keep the two of you apart fluttering to the forefront of your mind.  
  
"i mean," he turned to look at you, his gaze unwavering once you'd locked eyed, "you don't hold him in the same esteem that you do everyone else. it's obvious that you respect and admire him, but there's something... more..."  
  
You broke eye-contact and returned to staring down at Papyrus as you considered your response. There would be no denying it. Sans was far too astute, and you were far too obvious with your feelings. You were filled with joy at the thought of your relationship with Papyrus, but it was immediately crushed by overwhelming grief at the knowledge that that was all gone now.  
  
"We..." You hesitated, afraid your voice was about to crack under the weight of your emotions. "We were dating when the reset happened."  
  
Sans' eye sockets narrowed suspiciously. Your words seemed... a little too anti-climatic for the amount of emotion playing across your face. "is that all?" he asked, his tone implying that there was something more to it.  
  
You sputtered a bit, your face turning bright red.  
  
That was all the confirmation Sans needed on that subject. "...right." he concluded.  
  
"...He was always there for me." you began speaking again. "Every step of the way. When I was afraid of monsters and didn't know why... When I found out that I betrayed monsters and created the barrier... When I lost control... When everyone hated me... When I nearly died..." You took a deep, shuddering breath, barely holding back your tears as you remembered all the times that never were. "Through every hardship, and every happy moment since I moved to Ebott City, he was there. Sure, he sometimes got a little too pushy and over-protective, and we both had our share of mistakes with regards to the other... But how could I **NOT** fall in love with him?" you asked. You let out a breathless, bitter laugh as tears began to fall down your face. "Of course, what does that matter? None of that has actually happened now. He doesn't even know who I am..."  
  
Sans watched silently as the thoughts and fears about Papyrus that you had kept bottled up since the first Reset spilled forth. It was clear you were in a great deal of emotional pain.  
  
Sans returned his attention to the plateau. "i suppose i shouldn't be all that surprised. papyrus' a pretty lovable guy, after all." There was a brief pause before Sans huffed slightly in annoyance. "i'll admit, i'm really not sure how to feel about this."  
  
You continued to cry silently as Sans shifted a bit uncomfortably before continuing.  
  
"on the one hand, this is my brother we're talking about. i've, uh, got some pretty high standards when it comes to my bro. maybe too high." he admitted. "then there's the fact that you're the barrier mage. you're the reason we were all trapped down there in the first place. even without my high standards, that's a pretty tough flaw to ignore."  
  
You remained silent. This was about what you expected from Sans. He'd been against your relationship in the previous timeline, and he was against it now. Only this time, he knew before you'd even met Papyrus, which would give him all the more advantage to prevent the two of you from reaching that point again.  
  
"on the other hand..." Sans continued. "at some point, i gave you my trust password, and that's not something to be taken lightly."  
  
"I thought you just gave that to time travelers in general?" you responded, voice slightly hoarse.  
  
Sans gave you a slight grin. "actually, i've got a number of different passwords. some for time travelers i trust, some for those i'm not sure of, and some for those who aren't to be trusted..."  
  
Your eyes widened at the implications. Sans even had a contingency plan to warn his past self if someone could be trusted or not.  
  
"while you only know one of my passwords, the fact that the previous me felt you were trustworthy enough to skip straight to the second one speaks volumes." he told you, giving you a soft smile. His smile then softened even further into a sympathetic look. "...and, as much as i'd rather pretend it's not there, it's pretty obvious that you care very deeply for papyrus. just tell me one more thing..."  
  
"Yes...?" You asked hesitantly hopeful.  
  
"did paps love you back as much as you love him?" Sans asked, his gaze on you, searching.  
  
Your hand raised up over your soul of its own accord as you remembered your last moments with Papyrus. How he'd told you that he loved you as the two of you held your souls together. How you'd felt through the connection just how deep and true that statement was.  
  
"Yes." You told Sans simply, your demeanor and pulsing of your soul indicating that there wasn't a single shred of doubt about your answer.  
  
"heh..." Sans let out the short, quiet bark of laughter, his eyes closing. "well... i guess there's nothing for it." Sans said cryptically as he gathered his thoughts. Finally, he opened his eyes and gazed at you. "as much as i'll always consider papyrus to be my baby brother, and as much as i want to protect him, what's most important to me is that he's happy. so, if the two of you really were as happy together as it seems, than i won't get in your way."  
  
You stared at Sans, somewhat shocked that he seemed to be giving you his blessing to date his brother. "That's... so much different than the way you reacted before." you told him. "But... as nice as that is, I don't know how I'll be able to go through it all again. As well as things were going when the reset occurred, some pretty horrible things happened along the way..." you hesitated. "How can I just sit back and watch those tragedies unfold?"  
  
"who says you have to?" Sans responded, to your confusion. "just because things happened one way in your original timeline doesn't mean they have to happen the same way in this timeline. just like how frisk's journey through the underground was different than chara's, there's more than one way for time to flow. maybe, with the foresight you've gained of what could happen, you might even be able to change things for the better." Sans suggested.  
  
You stared at Sans, dumbstruck. Why hadn't that occurred to you before? Things were already so different this time... Maybe you could actually make a difference...  
  
You gave Sans an appreciative smile, relieved at the idea that you wouldn't necessarily have to endure everything you had before. "Thanks, Sans. I needed that."  
  
"no problem." Sans smiled back. The two of you sat there in a calm, companionable silence for a few moments before Sans spoke again. "so... when did you want me to reintroduce you to paps? i could probably sneak him away from everyone if you wanted to talk to him tonight."  
  
You were quiet for a few long moments as you thought. "No... Not yet." Sans looked at you curiously. "Monsters have only just emerged from the underground. Besides Frisk and myself, no other human even knows you guys exist. When the rest of the world learns of your existence, things will be fine at first, but once the novelty wears off, progress will grow... stagnant. That's a big source of the conflicts that could happen: the fact that interest in monsters will wane before you can be established as citizens with full rights in human society. I don't want Papyrus, or any monster, to have to endure that again. So, as much as I want to rekindle my relationship with Papyrus... I first want to ensure that the world is safer for him, and all monsters to live in."  
  
Sans smiled at you. "i'm liking you more and more already, pal. if there's anything i can do to help, just ask."  
  
You smiled back at him. "It might not be easy at this point, but there is something that you and Frisk can help me with..." Your gaze drifted back to the plateau. Specifically, to the king of monsters.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Had it truly been a month already? As he passed by, Asgore smiled in greeting to one of the many monster and humans working to build the newest district of Ebott City. Things were going quite well! The humans of today, unlike those he'd known hundreds of years ago, seemed mostly to be curious about him and his people. As such, they had been quite open when he approached them to establish diplomatic relations. They had come to an agreement that would allow his people to build new homes and businesses, and to work within human society. Apparently, this had happened in record time by human political standards, or so he was told. The humans he was working with had been surprised when he'd requested that the monster embassy be built last. He wasn't sure why, though. His people needed homes, and buildings to run their businesses out of, and schools, and other amenities. Diplomatic meetings could be held just as well in his sitting room as in an embassy.  
  
That was where he was headed now, in fact. Frisk, and oddly enough, Sans, had been attempting to set up a meeting with some important human for weeks. Since almost the day they'd emerged from Mount Ebott. Unfortunately, since this human they wanted him to meet was not an official diplomat, politician, or related to any of their many building projects, he had been forced to delay meeting them. Securing his people had to come first.  
  
He had had a cancelation in his busy schedule today, and Frisk had leapt at the opportunity. Though he had been looking forward to the unexpected bit of rest, Asgore had agreed that he had already put meeting this mysterious human off long enough, and that it would be rude not to at least extend the offer to meet in the now open time slot.  
  
The human had immediately accepted.  
  
Asgore walked into his temporary home and into the kitchen to begin making some tea. He might be tired, but that wouldn't stop him from being a good host. He looked up to the sound of the door opening, followed by the patter of feet against the bare wood. Asgore smiled as Frisk skidded into the kitchen.  
  
'Am I late?!' They signed up at him.  
  
"Not at all." Asgore rumbled in amusement. "You're just in time for some tea. I am still waiting on our guest, though."  
  
"heya, asgore." Sans greeted him as he sauntered into the kitchen after Frisk.  
  
"Good afternoon, Sans. How are you and your brother doing?" Asgore asked.  
  
"pretty good. they're just putting a few finishing touches on our house, so we'll finally be able to finish moving all our stuff aboveground." Sans smiled at him.  
  
Asgore's brow furrowed. "I thought your home was finished last week?"  
  
"it was, but that was before undyne decided to test the front wall of the living room for sturdiness. it, uh... didn't pass her test." Sans grinned wider in amusement.  
  
Asgore shook his head, slightly dismayed. "How are we expected to get all these buildings finished if we have to go back and fix such things?"  
  
"hey, it's no big deal. paps and undyne handled the repairs themselves. well, with some guidance from alphys. besides, i always wanted a large picture window in the living room." Sans shrugged.  
  
There was a knock at the door, and Frisk squealed in excitement as they ran off to answer it. By the time Asgore had gathered up his tray of teacups and the piping hot kettle, Frisk was already leading the human to the sitting room.  
  
'-and this is where the meeting's going to be held, because the embassy hasn't been built yet, but that's okay because everyone's busy building houses and i got to help plant some new trees where they're building the park and-' Frisk signed rapidly as they lead the way.  
  
"Whoa! Whoa! Slow down there, Frisk! I can only read so fast!" You chuckled as Frisk pulled you over to the love seat, which, given that it was Asgore-sized, was more of a large couch.  
  
"heya, _____." Sans greeted you with a wave before slumping into an over-sized chair.  
  
"Hey, Sans." You smiled at him, relieved to see that he was able to make the meeting, despite the short notice. You'd need all the support you could get.  
  
Shortly after Sans sat down, you were joined by Asgore.  
  
"Ah! Good afternoon!" He greeted before setting down the tea set and extending his hand. "I am King Asgore Dreemurr. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."  
  
You reached out and accepted his proffered hand. "I'm _____. It's nice to meet you as well, your majesty." You smiled nervously at him.  
  
"Please, call me Asgore." He smiled gently. "Would you care for some tea?"  
  
"Yes, thank you." You accepted the steaming hot cup of tea as you sat down, and then waited for everyone else to received their cup and settle in.  
  
"I apologize for not being able to meet with you any sooner, and for the short notice on this meeting. There is, I'm afraid, a great deal of work to be done."  
  
"Oh, no. Of course. I understand. I'm just glad you invited me here today."  
  
Asgore simply nodded in response. "Frisk and Sans have been quite eager for me to meet you. You seem to have made quite the impression on them." Asgore commented, pausing to take a sip of his tea. "Now, how can I help you today?"  
  
You shifted awkwardly. It had taken longer than you would have liked to get this meeting with Asgore, and you couldn't move forward with your plan without Asgore being aware of it. Not unless you wanted to face possible repercussions. Unfortunately, this time slot was limited, so you would have to get straight to the point.  
  
"Before I begin, I have one request."  
  
"A request? And what would that be?" Asgore asked, curiously.  
  
"Promise me that you will listen to everything I have to say before passing judgment."  
  
Asgore's brows furrowed in confusion at the odd request. "Why would I not-"  
  
"Please." You cut him off. "Just promise me."  
  
"Hrm... Very well. You have my word." Asgore agreed. Sensing that this meeting wasn't going to be the pleasant affair he'd expected, Asgore set his cup of tea down on the table.  
  
"Thank you." You took a deep breath and plunged in headfirst. "I am the reincarnated form of Moira, the barrier mage who helped trap monsters underground hundreds of years ago."  
  
The tension in the room as Asgore processed that statement was palpable. You watched as confusion, shock, and finally anger flitted across Asgore's features before he started to stand up.  
  
"There's more-"  
  
"I have heard enough." Asgore snapped, standing to his full height.  
  
Before he could make another move, Frisk had stepped out in front of you and signed up to him. 'You promised.'  
  
Asgore tensed even more at the reminder.  
  
"sit down, your majesty." Sans spoke up.  
  
"I would rather stand, thank you." Asgore responded stiffly. He crossed his arms and addressed you. "Very well. I gave my word. Now, speak before I throw you out."  
  
You winced, despite the fact that you had expected the hostility. You cleared your throat uneasily before beginning. "There's so much I have to say... I suppose I should start at the beginning. You, undoubtedly, would like to know why Moira betrayed you..." Asgore grumbled, his desire to have you out of his presence warring with his need for closure about what happened so many years ago. You took that as your permission to continue. "I'm afraid there were no good options for Moira. The very night you parted ways, she was outed not only as a monster sympathizer, but as a mage, and was imprisoned and sentenced to death." Asgore winced, his angry expression diminishing slightly. "She was tightly bound so that she could not use her magic, and imprisoned for... I don't even know how long. All I know is that it was dark, and she was completely alone. The reason they hadn't executed her was by order of the king. She was given an ultimatum: serve the king and earn her freedom, or be executed. I won't lie, by that point she knew her soul would reincarnate. Her imprisonment caused her to regain memories of her past deaths... But, she was hurt and afraid, and completely and utterly alone with nothing but those terrible memories. She... I... I've never been the bravest person, or the strongest... The fear and the pressure was too much, and by the time she realized exactly what serving the king meant, she had fallen too far to turn back..."  
  
Asgore's anger seemed to have drained from him as he learned just what Moira had gone through. Rejected by her own people, tormented, and with her only friends nowhere to be found. He had not realized... He felt... numb at the realization. He was not ready to let go of his anger. He and his people had suffered so much because of humanity and that cursed barrier. He had lost both his children and his wife because of it. He had ordered the execution of all humans misfortunate enough to fall into their prison. They had all been so young... Mere children... Every woe, every act of violence he committed, all of it lead back to the barrier. Yet, despite all that, there was a part of him that yearned to reach out to the soul that sat before him. To hold and comfort his once dear friend. To beg for her forgiveness for not being there when she had clearly needed him most. To take comfort in their sorrows they shared over feeling desperate and forced into actions they would inevitably regret.  
  
"It's something that's haunted me ever since then, even when I didn't know why. Which brings us to my current life... Things have been... complicated, to say the least." You continued on. "You are aware of Frisk's time magic, and Chara's manipulation magic, right?" You asked.  
  
Asgore stiffened a bit at the mention of Chara, remembering how they were currently imprisoned in a magic barrier underground, but nodded that he was aware of the two children's powers.  
  
"Well... There was another timeline where monsters reached the surface..."  
  
Asgore blinked in confusion. He knew there had been another timeline, one where Chara had used their magic to control Frisk and harm the monsters of the underground, Sans had debriefed him on as much, but he had not been aware that there had been a timeline where monsters had reached the surface.  
  
'It's true.' Frisk confirmed. 'Monsters were freed once before, and we were all living on the surface, but then Chara took control of me and forced me to Reset. You... well... you know what happened then...'  
  
Asgore gave Frisk a sympathetic look. He did not blame the child for Chara's actions. He then turned curiously to Sans. "Were you aware of this?"  
  
Sans shrugged. "yes and no. i knew about the timelines, but unlike these two, i don't actually remember through the resets."  
  
"Hrm. I see." Asgore felt slightly more at-ease knowing that he wasn't the only one who did not remember these 'Resets'.  
  
"Anyway, that timeline is when I first encountered monsters in this life. At first, I was afraid and I didn't know why. After discovering my... history... I realized that I wasn't actually afraid of monsters, I was afraid of being rejected by them for my past actions. I was ashamed. Still, to make a long story short, I was gradually able to become friends with a number of monsters who helped and supported me through a number of grim events. I did my best to return the favor by helping push for full rights for monsters and, when the timeline was reset, by venturing into the barrier to try and help secure everyone's freedom once again. Which brings us to this timeline."  
  
Asgore considered you for a few long moments. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't still angry. Feelings were fickle, stubborn things. It was not so simple to dispel a several hundred year-old grudge. However, he was calm enough now to see that, despite everything, you had not WANTED to see he and his people harmed, just as he had not wanted to go through with that terrible promise to his people that he had made in the throes of grief and anger. You were both, ultimately, victims of circumstance.  
  
"I see." Asgore rumbled. "And you wished to meet with me to clear the air between us?"  
  
"Yes, and, well, to offer my help."  
  
"Your help??" Asgore questioned, unsure what you were offering to help with.  
  
"Yes. I want to help monsters gain the rights they deserve." You told him.  
  
"I'm afraid I do not understand." Asgore admitted. "Why would we need help with that?"  
  
"because last time, it apparently took three years." Sans informed him.  
  
"T-Three years?!" Asgore gaped at him. "Is the human political process truly that slow??"  
  
'Yes, and no.' Frisk signed. 'It can be, but this time it was because people lost interest in what was happening with monsters, and politicians who didn't like monsters took advantage of that and blocked monsters from gaining rights because they knew no one else would care enough to notice.'  
  
"But it's important that monsters gain rights as soon as possible, before those who oppose your integration can gain enough traction in their anti-monster movement. If we fail, countless monsters will suffer and even die while the human legal system does absolutely nothing due to monsters not being considered 'people'." You emphasized.  
  
"it might not solve all our problems, as there will always be people with hatred in their hearts, but it certainly couldn't hurt to have the law on our side." Sans pointed out.  
  
"Hrm. I see your point, but how do you propose to change this outcome?" Asgore asked.  
  
"By starting with what I didn't have the courage or fortitude to do until the end of that timeline: going public about who I really am and doing everything I can to keep the public eye and rally support for monsters."  
  
'Me, too!' Frisk announced. 'I'm going to take my ambassador duties seriously right from the start this time!'  
  
Asgore smiled fondly at Frisk before settling back into his chair. "I can see you both are quite determined to see this through. Despite our past differences," Asgore leveled his gaze on you. "I am grateful for your support." The slightest edge of a smile tugged at the corners of Asgore's mouth as he continued to gaze at you. "So... Where do we begin?"  
  
Sans pulled out a crumpled wad of papers from his hoody, much to your chagrin, and began to smooth them out on the table. "i'm glad you asked..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader's getting a second chance at everything, and she's not going to let that opportunity go to waste. 
> 
> You may (or may not) be curious as to why Sans is supportive of the Paps/Reader relationship this go around when he was so dead-set against it last time. It all has to do with the circumstances surrounding his own relationship with Reader. 
> 
> The first go-around, he got a bad first-impression of Reader before he'd even met her. She was this mysterious human his brother was hanging out with who ALWAYS found some excuse not to meet with any other monster. Then, when he finally DID meet her, not only was she clearly nervous and wary, but he got his first chance to see her elevated LOVE. Even though he could tell it was inactive, that was still quite the cause for alarm. (Imagine having a real explosive device in your house. Just because it doesn't seem to be active, doesn't mean it can't explode.) When she was then outed as the barrier mage, an ancient enemy of monsterkind, his distrust of her and her intentions was solidified. It took a long time to overcome that. 
> 
> This time, though, she had no LOVE when he met her, and one of the first things he learns about her is that she was given his codeword implying that she was trustworthy. He knows himself well enough to know that that's not something he'd do lightly, and it gives her claim of friendship a legitimacy it otherwise wouldn't have, given her status as the barrier mage. Finally, Sans is good at reading people, and Reader's love for Papyrus is as plain as day. It's enough that, despite his protectiveness, he's willing to give Reader a chance.


	61. Unexplainable Feelings

Papyrus hummed to himself, his hips swaying to the tune in his head as he moved about the living room cleaning. Life on the surface so far had been amazing! Seeing the sun, moon, and stars... Feeling the wind in his hair as he drove down the street in his cool new car, which looked very much like his bed! (His instructor had been so impressed with his driving prowess, he had retired immediately afterwards, clearly convinced that he would never meet a student that could match him. It had been a good idea to have Undyne teach him the basics!)  
  
Papyrus moved over to clean the dust off of the TV, and paused curiously at the news segment that was detailing the current battle to grant monsters full rights within the human legal system.  
  
"...but no two humans are quite as dedicated to the fight to grant monsters full rights as citizens than Ambassador Frisk Dreemurr and _____, who shocked the world two months ago when she revealed that not only is she a mage, but the very mage that sealed the monsters within Mount Ebott in the first place!" spoke the male anchor.  
  
"That's right, Bill! And those two are doing one heck of a job, too! Ambassador Frisk, though young, is surprisingly bright and charismatic for their age. Their bold, confident nature, and refreshingly direct and honest debate strategy has made them an internet sensation, garnering them, and thus their cause, an incredible following online! _____, meanwhile, has touched the nation with her story of forbidden friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness. I think we all can see a little of ourselves in her as we struggle through our own difficulties." the female anchor responded.  
  
"Yes, indeed. The rumor mill has even been churning about a possible movie adaption of _____'s story, though my sources indicate that she gave some pretty cryptic statements about a 'plot twist [we] couldn't even imagine' when asked about the possibility, before claiming that there are no immediate plans for one."  
  
"My! How mysterious!"  
  
"It is, indeed, Barb! Regardless of any pending movie deals, support for monster integration is at an all-time high! Polls indicate that 65% of citizens nationwide approve of monsters being made full-fledged citizens, and a whooping 80% of citizens in the Ebott county area!"  
  
"I'm sure those numbers, especially nationally, were helped along by the rapidly rising star-power of robotic entertainer, Mettaton, who counts himself as a member of the monster kingdom. His recently released film has baffled critics with it's incredible popularity, which seems to be a result of its refreshingly absurd nature."  
  
"Yes, indeed! Our own newscaster, Gregory Archer, interviewed Mettaton just last week, and was impressed by the star's boldly honest and flamboyant nature. We'll need to keep a close eye on Mettaton's rise to super-stardom, because when Greg tells you someone's bound for greatness, you know it must be true. After all, Gregory Archer never misses his mark." Bill winked as he spouted his coworker's catchphrase, Barbara laughing politely.  
  
"Well, that's all the time we have for now!" Barbara announced. "Coming up next is Mike with the sports report right after this commercial break!"  
  
Papyrus continued to stare at the screen, but his mind was elsewhere. He had heard of you. What monster hadn't? The story of the human-monster war and the seven mages who sealed monsters underground was a basic and important part of every monster's education. It had come as an absolute shock to most monsters when the king had announced that, not only were you still alive, but that you wanted to help secure their future as a way of making amends. There had been quite a bit of doubt, despite the assurances of the king, queen, Frisk, and his brother Sans. However, you had, so far, lived up to your promise. Papyrus, of course, hadn't doubted you for a moment. In fact, despite not knowing you personally, he was quite proud of you! You, a former enemy to all monsterkind, were living proof of his philosophy that anyone can be good if they try! He couldn't help but smile every time he caught sight of your face on TV.  
  
Perhaps, one day, he might even get the chance to meet you and tell you how proud he was of you. After all, while you were currently busy fighting for monster rights, you were apparently already friends with Frisk and, oddly enough, his brother, so it wasn't completely out of the question.  
  
Papyrus looked up as the door swung open and Sans stepped inside.  
  
"heya, paps." Sans smiled at him.  
  
"WELCOME HOME, SANS! DID YOU HAVE A GOOD DAY AT THE HOTDOG STAND?" Papyrus smiled right back.  
  
"yeah. it always **meats** my expectations." Sans winked at him.  
  
"AUGH! SANS! WHY MUST YOU RUIN EVERYTHING WITH YOUR TERRIBLE PUNS?" Papyrus whined.  
  
"i **relish** the reactions i get for them." Sans couldn't help but chuckle as Papyrus groaned once again. "anyway, paps, alphys and undyne are heading to the beach and asked if we wanted to come. what do you say?"  
  
"THE BEACH?" Papyrus perked up. "YOU MEAN LIKE ON THAT OLD HUMAN TV SHOW YOU LIKE TO WATCH LATE AT NIGHT WHERE THE SCANTILY CLAD HUMANS ARE ALWAYS RUNNING REALLY, REALLY SLOWLY? WHAT WAS IT CALLED? BAY... LOOK?"  
  
Sans flushed slightly, surprised that Papyrus even knew about that. "uh, yeah, sort of."  
  
"WOWIE! THAT SOUNDS LIKE FUN!" Papyrus' face dropped. "WE... DON'T NEED TO RUN SLOWLY WHILE WE'RE THERE... DO WE?"  
  
Sans shook his head and chuckled. "nah, bro."  
  
Papyrus' smile widened. "GOOD! THAN LET'S GO! WE CAN STOP AND PICK UP SOME BEACH ATTIRE ON THE WAY, AND THEN WE CAN GO MEET THE OCEAN FOR THE FIRST TIME!"  
  
"sounds good, paps." Sans smiled at him and lead the way out the door.  
  
Papyrus grabbed his keys and stepped out the door, starting to pull it closed behind him. He paused briefly as he noticed the newspaper sitting on the end table near the door, with a picture of you crouching next to Frisk on the front page.  
  
_"ONE DAY..."_ he thought, then shut the door tight behind him.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"SANS, WILL YOU LOAD THE GIFTS FOR EVERYONE INTO THE CAR? I STILL NEED TO PUT THE SPAGHETTI IN ITS CONTAINER TO BRING TO THE PARTY!" Papyrus asked as he bounded excitedly towards the kitchen.  
  
"sure, no problem, bro." came Sans' response.  
  
Papyrus grinned and hummed some Christmas tune he couldn't remember the name of as he smothered the small fire that had started in the pot of spaghetti he'd left on the warmer. Once the flames were dealt with, he pulled out the aluminum container he had picked up to transport the spaghetti without having to worry about bringing his pots and pans back. He dumped the crispy remains of the noodles into the container, then carefully layered the sauce and meatballs over it, finishing the dish with a generous helping of MTT Brand (Mostly) Edible Glitter, and some festive Christmas sprinkles he'd picked up at the store. He stared proudly at his culinary creation, which would surely be a hit at the party, before carefully placing the lid over it and carrying it out into the living room.  
  
Papyrus immediately spotted Sans, fast asleep on the couch, and had to reign in his disgruntled response. The feeling was mitigated, however, when he saw that Sans had done as he asked and loaded the presents into the car already.  
  
"WAKE UP, SANS! IT'S TIME TO GO TO THE PARTY!" Papyrus nudged his brother awake after placing the pasta down.  
  
"ah, it's that time already? alright." Sans mumbled sleepily before hoisting himself up and following Papyrus out to the car.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Papyrus was absolutely beaming with pride as Sans took in the impressive holiday display at the monster embassy.  
  
"wow. you guys really did a great job, especially on such short notice." Sans whistled, impressed.  
  
"NATURALLY!" Papyrus boasted. "WITH THE COMBINED EFFORTS OF FRISK, UNDYNE, ALPHYS, THE KING AND QUEEN, AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT THE DISPLAY WOULD BE SPECTACULAR!"  
  
"with how everyone's been celebrating all week, this should be one heck of a party." Sans smiled up at him as he lead the way inside.  
  
The Christmas party had, originally, been planned as a limited affair to be held at Toriel's home, but the passing of the Monster Rights Bill at the beginning of the week had spurred on a week-long celebration throughout all of Monstertown that was culminating in this Christmas Eve bash here at the monster embassy, with all monsters and their friends invited to attend. It had been a lot of work getting everything ready, but the results spoke for themselves.  
  
Papyrus followed Sans through the front courtyard, where monsters and humans had already begun gathering and enjoying themselves. Once they stepped inside, it became clear why some people had migrated out to the gardens... The building was fairly packed.  
  
"WOWIE. I DIDN'T EXPECT THERE TO BE SO MANY PEOPLE HERE THIS EARLY." Papyrus commented, glancing through the crowds to see if he could spot any of their friends.  
  
"well, there's a lot to celebrate." Sans smiled up at him.  
  
The two maneuvered their way through the crowd, greeting and expressing well wishes to a variety of people along the way. Finally, they reached the refreshment table and Papyrus set out his contribution. A few monsters eyed it in confusion, though a Loox eventually scooped some onto a plate and placed it on the floor for his Moldsmal friend, who happily absorbed it, paper plate and all.  
  
Satisfied that his spaghetti was already being well received, Papyrus grabbed a plastic cup and began to fill it with punch. He glanced up and suddenly stilled as his eye sockets came across you. You were currently chatting with the queen, who was smiling kindly down at you.  
  
...  
  
"Hey! Earth to Papyrus! Helloooo!"  
  
Papyrus blinked rapidly, coming out of his stunned trance as a blue hand waved in front of his face. He turned to face Undyne. "OH! HELLO, UNDYNE! I DIDN'T SEE YOU APPROACH!"  
  
"Apparently you didn't notice much of anything in that daze you were in." Undyne gestured towards Papyrus' hand.  
  
Papyrus glanced down and immediately flushed as he realized he'd filled his cup to overflowing, and his hand was now soaked with punch. "SHOOT!" He immediately set down the drink and began soaking up the mess with a bunch of napkins.  
  
"You alright, Paps?" Undyne asked, concerned.  
  
"F-FINE! FINE! THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL! NYEH HEH..." He looked back out to the crowd, but you were no longer there. "HEH..."  
  
Undyne shot him a skeptical look, but didn't say anything more about it. "Riiiight... Anyway, as I was saying, I'm glad you're here! The shipment of fireworks for tonight have finally arrived, and I could use some help getting them all moved and set up."  
  
"FIREWORKS? YOU MEAN THOSE LOUD EXPLODEY THINGS THAT MAKE COLORS IN THE SKY? ARE THOSE TYPICAL FOR SURFACE CHRISTMAS PARTIES??" Papyrus asked.  
  
"Christmas parties, no, but the humans I've talked to said they're pretty commonly used to celebrate other important occasions, like New Year's or Independence Day, so we figured being fully accepted as citizens in human society is a pretty important event and deserving of a fireworks show to celebrate."  
  
Papyrus nodded in understanding. "OF COURSE. THAT MAKES SENSE."  
  
"Well, come on, then! Those fireworks aren't going to explode themselves!" Undyne grinned and rushed off.  
  
"SHOULDN'T WE WAIT UNTIL THE SHOW BEFORE EXPLODING THEM? U-UNDYNE??" Papyrus called out nervously, as he chased after her.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Much to Papyrus' relief, the queen was already outside overseeing the set-up for the fireworks display and quickly put the kibosh on Undyne's plans to 'test' the fireworks. Instead, the two of them helped sort and haul the boxes to where they needed to go as others unpacked and set them up.  
  
"WOWIE. THERE SURE ARE A LOT OF FIREWORKS." Papyrus commented as he set down another box, which a Madjick quickly popped open and began sorting through.  
  
"Indeed there are, my child. Between Christmas and the passing of the Monster Rights Bill, we have much to celebrate this season." Toriel smiled warmly at him.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE DISPLAY TONIGHT!" Papyrus grinned at her.  
  
Toriel chuckled. "Agreed. It should be quite the show!"  
  
Papyrus' grin lessened, though it didn't disappear completely. "BY THE WAY, I SAW YOU SPEAKING WITH A HUMAN NOT TOO LONG AGO INSIDE. SHE SEEMED... FAMILIAR, BUT I COULDN'T QUITE PLACE WHERE?"  
  
"Hm? Oh, you must mean _____. You have most likely seen her on the television, or in the newspaper. She is the reincarnated form of the barrier mage who sealed us underground. She felt regret for her actions back then, and has been trying to make up for it by tirelessly campaigning for and promoting equal rights for monsters. She's actually quite kind. Frisk is very fond of her." Toriel explained.  
  
"OH! THAT MAKES SENSE!" Now that he thought about it, that is where he'd seen you before. No wonder you seemed so achingly familiar.  
  
"Now, if you will excuse me, my child, I need to let Asgore know that the fireworks are all set up."  
  
"OF COURSE!" Papyrus smiled politely at Toriel as she excused herself.  
  
Papyrus then went and found Undyne, who was busy huffing in annoyance at an unperturbed looking final froggit. She looked up at him as he approached.  
  
"Can you believe it?! They won't even let me have one lousy sparkler!" she griped.  
  
The final froggit simply croaked in response.  
  
"HE'S RIGHT, UNDYNE. THOSE ARE FOR TONIGHT. IT WOULDN'T BE FAIR TO EVERYONE ELSE TO GIVE YOU ONE EARLY." Papyrus lectured her.  
  
"Yeah, yeah... I guess you're right." She pouted, clearly still not happy. "Come on, let's go back inside and find something better to do."  
  
Papyrus nodded in agreement, and followed Undyne back inside. They traversed the main hallway and entered the public conference room, where most of the festivities were taking place, due to the room's size.  
  
Papyrus was barely 10 feet inside the room when something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. He turned his head and spotted you a scant 12 feet away. You had a broad smile on your face as you patted Lesser Dog. Your look briefly switched to startled surprise as Greater Dog came up behind you and nearly knocked you off your feet trying to wedge himself under your other arm. The surprise quickly became joyful laughter as you said something to Greater Dog that Papyrus could not hear over the noise of the crowd, and began petting him, too.  
  
Papyrus felt his soul twist as a stab of something hot and fierce lanced through him. He didn't know what this feeling was, but he didn't like it. He didn't like it at all. He felt restless and tense all at once, and he wanted nothing more than to walk right over there and-  
  
The unpleasant feeling was quickly replaced with utter confusion as Papyrus crashed into something. Hard. While his attention had been on you, his feet had continued to carry him forward at a brisk pace. Thus, when Undyne had come to a stop, he hadn't been paying any attention and collided with her.  
  
The result was... disastrous. Not expecting the collision, and certainly not expecting it with the force of an agitated Papyrus, Undyne was pitched forward. Unfortunately, due to the crowded nature of the room, this wound up having a sort of domino effect until a sizable group of monsters and humans were sprawling on the ground.  
  
Papyrus pushed himself up a bit and looked around. Everyone was staring, and he felt his skull start to heat up in embarrassment. As his head turned, it finally settled back on you. You were staring down at him from the edge of the crowd in shock and concern, and he felt his soul twist again. This time, however, he knew exactly what he was feeling. He was absolutely humiliated.  
  
"G'off me, p'nk!" groused Undyne from her position pinned to the floor by Papyrus.  
  
Papyrus' attention snapped back down to his best friend, and he quickly scrambled off of her. "OH, MY GOD... UNDYNE, I'M SO SORRY!" His sockets began to dart around the room. To the people trying to pick themselves up off the floor, "I-I'M SO, SO SORRY!" to the people staring from the crowd, "I-I DIDN'T MEAN TO..." to you, "I-"  
  
You took a step forward from the crowd, concerned eyes locked on Papyrus as you started to reach out a hand...  
  
Papyrus immediately turned and bolted from the room.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"come on, paps. so you had a little spill. it's no big deal." Sans coaxed through the locked door.  
  
"IT WASN'T A 'LITTLE' SPILL, SANS! I TOOK OUT HALF THE ROOM!" Papyrus lamented from where he was seated on the toilet, head gripped in his hands as he hunched over.  
  
'He's exaggerating.' Frisk informed Sans. 'It was only ten or so people.'  
  
"frisk says it was only ten people. sounds like you really **bowled** them over, bro." Sans winked at Frisk, who giggled at the pun.  
  
"SAAAAANS!" Papyrus whined. "ISN'T MY HUMILIATION BAD ENOUGH WITHOUT YOU MAKING FUN OF ME?"  
  
Sans frowned. "i'm sorry, bro. i didn't mean it like that... you know i'd never make fun of you..."  
  
"I KNOW..."  
  
Sans sighed. While his brother wasn't typically accident-prone, outside the kitchen that is, his size and strength usually meant that when there WERE accidents, they were pretty spectacular. Papyrus, in general, took them in stride. So, he wasn't entirely sure what about this particular goof had his brother so out-of-sorts.  
  
"you usually don't let these things bother you, so what about this has you so upset, paps?" Sans asked.  
  
There was a lengthy pause before Papyrus responded. "NOTHING. I'M FINE."  
  
Sans and Frisk exchanged a look that clearly conveyed how ridiculous that response was.  
  
"alright... if you're fine, than why did you lock yourself in the ladies room?"  
  
They were met with silence. Papyrus knew that, even if he DID have an answer for that, they wouldn't have believed it, anyway. But... But he couldn't explain WHY he was so upset, because he didn't understand it himself, and that left him feeling even more lost and confused and more than a little freaked out.  
  
Papyrus sighed.  
  
Frisk's head shot up at the sound of stomping feet, just in time to see Undyne round the corner.  
  
"Where is he?" She demanded, her gaze immediately turning towards the closed door Sans and Frisk were huddled outside of. She strode up to the door, with Frisk and Sans stepping aside to let her get to it, and began pounding on it, the wood creaking slightly under the force. "Stop being a weenie and get out here, Papyrus!"  
  
"UNDYNE, PLEASE LEAVE ME ALONE..." Papyrus whined. He felt bad enough without having to see his best friend's disappointed face.  
  
"Not a chance, loser!" Undyne scoffed, her lips pulling back into a toothy, challenging grin. "As impressive as it was to see you take out a dozen people essentially with your face, you're a fool if you think I'm going to let you get away with ambushing me when my guard was down!"  
  
"I-I DIDN'T DO IT ON PURPOSE!"  
  
"I know, which makes it all the more awesome! I mean, just think what you could do if you WERE trying?!" Undyne smiled proudly.  
  
Papyrus didn't know how to respond to that.  
  
Undyne punched her fist into her open palm. "Now, come out here so I can show you how a REAL member of the Royal Guard launches a sneak attack!"  
  
"UH... I DON'T THINK IT WORKS THAT WAY, UNDYNE... FOR A SNEAK ATTACK, DON'T YOU NEED TO BE... ER... SNEAKING?"  
  
"FREAKING SNEAK ATTACK, NERD!" Without further warning, Undyne ripped the bathroom door completely off its hinges, tossed it aside, and dove into the bathroom.  
  
**"OH MY GOD!!"** Papyrus screeched as there was a loud crash.  
  
Sans and Frisk both backed a health-sustaining distance away from the bathroom just before a mix of spears and bones began to erupt from it. The two looked at each other, wide-eyed and slightly bewildered, but neither willing to get in the middle of that close-quarters showdown.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"What the hell happened here??" Mariana asked, utterly bewildered, as she took in the state of the bathroom. There was an 'Out of Order' sign on the door... which was completely off its hinges and laying on the ground. There were holes and cracks all over the walls, floor, and ceiling. Even the sink and toilet were shattered, and, as one might expect from something like that, everything was covered in water.  
  
The little washua that was currently trying to clean the mess paused to look up at her, an absolutely furious look on its face as it thought of the cause of this mess.  
  
"Filthy..." the little monster simply said, before returning to work.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
After his 'sneak attack battle' with Undyne, Papyrus was feeling much better. It was hard to stay hung-up on confusing emotions when there were spears being chucked at you inside a small bathroom. That, and exercise always got his non-existent blood pumping, which made him feel like he could handle anything! Even weird, confusing emotions.  
  
"THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT, AND ALSO FOR CHEERING ME UP, UNDYNE." Papyrus thanked her as stored the gifts he received from his friends in the car so he wouldn't have to carry them with him for the rest of the party.  
  
"No problem, Paps. Anytime you need me to come beat the funk out of you, just give me a call!" Undyne smiled at him.  
  
Papyrus gave her a stern look at her almost-inappropriate word choice, but said nothing about it. Instead, he watched as she turned her attention to where Alphys was loading her own gifts into their car.  
  
Papyrus smiled gently, and nudged her. "NYEH HEH. YOU SHOULD GO SPEND SOME TIME WITH DOCTOR ALPHYS."  
  
Undyne blushed slightly, but then looked at Papyrus with concern. "You sure?" Despite Papyrus' improvement, she was still worried about why he had been so upset in the first place.  
  
"OF COURSE." Papyrus' smile softened appreciatively at his best friend's concern for him. "NOTHING CAN KEEP THE GREAT PAPYRUS DOWN!" he boasted. "BESIDES... I'LL HAVE FRISK AND SANS AROUND TO KEEP ME COMPANY."  
  
Undyne smiled gently at Papyrus. "Hah. I guess so. Just don't hesitate to come find me if you need me for anything, alright Paps?"  
  
Papyrus stood at attention and saluted. "YES, SIR, CAPTAIN UNDYNE!"  
  
The two of them burst into laughter.  
  
"Alright, alright! At ease, you dweeb!" Undyne chuckled. "I'll see you later then, Paps."  
  
"BYE, UNDYNE!" Papyrus smiled at her, then watched her jog over to Alphys.  
  
Undyne had always worked so hard to be a pillar of strength for everyone in the underground. Someone who could be looked up to and relied upon. She deserved this happiness.  
  
Vaguely, Papyrus wondered what it would be like to experience something like that... but he shook the feeling from his thoughts. He was sure he'd have plenty of time for romance later. He was still young, after all!  
  
Papyrus turned and, with a spring in his step, he returned inside.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Papyrus felt faint.  
  
"Why, of COURSE you may have an autograph, darling! It's always lovely to meet a fan." Mettaton purred. "To whom shall I make this out to?"  
  
"M-MY NAME'S PAPYRUS, AND I'M YOUR **BIGGEST** FAN!" Papyrus responded gleefully, his eye sockets sparkling.  
  
Mettaton's eyes drifted up Papyrus' form, whose height rivaled his own, even with his heels. "So it seems..." Before Papyrus could fully process the accidental pun, Mettaton spoke up again. "How about we do something a bit special to commemorate that, hm?"  
  
"SPECIAL??" Papyrus asked.  
  
"Of COURSE, darling! The, surprisingly encyclopedic, knowledge of ALL my films and shows you demonstrated earlier clearly marks you as my #1 fan, and such an accomplishment is deserving of a very SPECIAL autograph. Thus, I shall allow you to take a selfie with me, which I will then sign!"  
  
Papyrus gasped. "R-REALLY?!"  
  
"I would NEVER joke about such a thing, darling. Now, come here so I can take the picture." Mettaton beckoned Papyrus over, and then pulled him flush against his side as he extended one of his arms and switched it to camera mode. "Now, give the camera your most devastatingly BEAUTIFUL smile, and say 'Mettaton!'"  
  
Papyrus' smile, already near its limits, managed to pull a bit bigger and brighter as his cheekbones flushed with magic from how giddy he was. "METTATON!" he beamed as instructed, forcing himself not to blink as the camera's flash went off.  
  
There was a whirring sound, and Papyrus wasn't entirely sure where it came from, but moments later Mettaton had produced a copy of the photograph, which he seemed to be surveying critically.  
  
"Hmm.. Not bad for a whim." he murmured, apparently pleased. "Now then..." he signed the photograph and then handed it over to Papyrus. "There you go, darling! One selfie with moi, and a personalized autograph."  
  
"W-WOWIE! THIS HAS GOT TO BE THE GREATEST CHRISTMAS EVER! THANK YOU, METTATON!" Papyrus beamed at him, bouncing excitedly as he clutched the autographed picture.  
  
"Think nothing of it, darling! Why, if it were not for fans such as yourself than I-" Mettaton stopped mid-sentence as it occurred to him that Papyrus was not listening to a thing he was saying. He frowned and pouted slightly at the sudden loss of attention.  
  
Mettaton turned his head to see what could possibly distract someone from himself and blinked in surprise when his sensors indicated that, based on the direction and angle of Papyrus' gaze, he was looking at you.  
  
"THANK YOU FOR THE AUTOGRAPH, METTATON. IF YOU'LL PLEASE EXCUSE ME, THERE'S SOMETHING I NEED TO DO."  
  
"Of course, darling. Do enjoy the rest of the party." Mettaton watched him walk off, an elegant brow raised in curiosity, then murmured to himself. "My, my... I wonder just where this little plot twist is going..."  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Papyrus carefully glanced over the top of the newspaper he was holding in front of him. There you were, just on the other side of the room. You hadn't seen him yet, but how could you? He was the Great Papyrus, after all! Master of everything he set his mind to! And, right now, that would make him a master of stealth.  
  
There was something... odd about you... Something he couldn't quite put his finger on. Normally, Papyrus was the perfect mascot for monsterkind: outgoing, lovable, friendly, a delight to pet... but as soon as he'd laid eyes on you, that all seemed to fly out the window. For some reason, the thought of walking up to you and striking up a conversation made him... anxious? Was that what he was feeling? It didn't sound quite right, but it was the closest word he had at the moment. Anyway, the point was that you were a mystery. An enigma. A... **puzzle**. And there was no way the Great Papyrus was going to let any puzzle get the best of him!  
  
So, he had decided to observe you. Unfortunately, he wasn't getting much intel from his current position. He could see you interacting with other partygoers, but it was a bit hard to tell who through the crowds, and he certainly couldn't hear what you might be talking about. There was nothing for it. He would have to get closer.  
  
Papyrus folded the newspaper and carefully placed it down before ducking behind the table and pulling out his disguise. He carefully placed the glasses on his face, scowling slightly as he had to exert a bit of magic to keep them in place. They were clearly quite poorly designed. Of course, what did he expect from one of his brother's cheap gags? Sans had been quite perplexed when he'd asked to borrow his funny glasses, but had readily complied. What had he called them... Ah, yes. Groucho Marx glasses. He said something about them being based on some comedian? Anyway, with these on, he'd surely be unrecognizable, just like he'd seen in Mettaton's super spy movie!  
  
Papyrus began to make his way closer to you, creeping along the wall, hiding behind pillars, and ducking through confused crowds, all the while trying to look as nonchalant as possible. He made it about halfway across the room when he was stopped.  
  
"Hey, Papyrus! Uh... just what are you doing?" asked Monster Kid, as Papyrus peeked over the group of slightly disgruntled people he'd just cut through.  
  
"SHH! I'M ATTEMPTING TO SNEAK UP ON THE-ER, I MEAN," Papyrus cleared his throat and made up a fake voice. "WHO IS THIS 'PAPYRUS' YOU'RE SPEAKING OF? WHILE I HAVE NEVER MET HIM, HE SOUNDS VERY GREAT AND POPULAR!"  
  
Monster Kid gave Papyrus an incredulous look. "I know it's you, dude."  
  
"...REALLY?"  
  
Monster Kid nodded in confirmation.  
  
"WOWIE! YOU MUST HAVE SOME INCREDIBLE OBSERVATION SKILLS TO SEE THROUGH MY DISGUISE SO EASILY!"  
  
Monster Kid wasn't sure that was quite right, but he smiled proudly at being complimented by his new hero. "Thanks!"  
  
Papyrus crouched down next to him and explained. "I AM TRYING TO GET CLOSER TO THE MAGE HUMAN SO THAT I MIGHT LEARN A BIT MORE ABOUT HER."  
  
"Oh! Can I help?! Frisk and I were talking to her earlier, so I bet she'd be willing to talk to me!" Monster Kid asked eagerly.  
  
Papyrus' face lit up. "THAT WOULD BE QUITE HELPFUL! WHY DON'T YOU GO TALK TO THE HUMAN, THEN REPORT WHAT YOU LEARN BACK TO ME?"  
  
Monster Kid stood at attention. "You can count on me, sir!"  
  
Papyrus then watched him run off towards you, only falling on his face once along the way. Once he was there, Papyrus got into a better position so he could see the two of you talking. You seemed curious and amused, and then, after you'd said something, Monster Kid nodded his head in Papyrus' direction and you looked up.  
  
Papyrus' widened sockets met your own bemused gaze and he froze. Did you recognize him from his mishap earlier? Surely, you would not. After all, he was disguised. ...But what if your powers of observation were as good as Monster Kid's? Papyrus felt decidedly nervous at the thought.  
  
You said something else to Monster Kid before looking back up at him and starting to walk his way.  
  
Papyrus panicked.  
  
In one impressive leap, he dove out the window.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Papyrus, his back flush against the wall, leaned over and carefully peeked through the doorway. It had taken him a few minutes to make his way back inside, and then a few more to circle around the building until he finally found a spot where he could watch you from as close as possible without entering the room. You were clearly craftier than he thought to see through his disguise... well, technically he hadn't confirmed that you had seen through it. Perhaps you had been walking towards him while looking him dead in the eye simply by coincidence? Regardless, he needed to be more careful if he wanted to remain undetected.  
  
Currently, you were talking to Sans and Frisk. All three of you looked confused and concerned, though he still couldn't hear what you were talking about, no matter how carefully he strained to hear. Darn. Your head turned in his direction, and Papyrus quickly ducked back out of the doorway.  
  
_"WHEW! THAT WAS CLOSE!"_ he sighed in relief. His face then scrunched up as he realized that now he couldn't hear OR see you. Papyrus glanced at the small table next to him and smiled as an idea struck him. _"AHA! ANOTHER GENIUS IDEA BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS! NYEH HEH HEH!"_  
  
Papyrus picked up the vase of flowers and then removed the round mirror the arrangement had been placed on. He held the mirror just around the corner and adjusted it until he spotted you once again. You were standing near the refreshment table, holding a drink with a look of consternation on your face. There was no sign of Frisk or his brother-  
  
"hey, paps."  
  
"AAAH!!" Papyrus screamed in surprise as his view of the room was suddenly cut off when Sans stepped into the doorway, his reflection filling the mirror.  
  
Consequently, the mirror slipped from Papyrus' grasp and, while fumbling to try and catch it, Papyrus bumped the table next to him, resulting in not only the mirror shattering, but the table and vase crashing to the ground as well.  
  
Papyrus winced at the loud crash, blushing in embarrassment.  
  
"huh..." Sans glanced around at the minor bout of chaos. "didn't see that one coming."  
  
Frisk entered the hall, too, and took in the carnage before looking up at Papyrus. 'What's going on, Papyrus? You're not acting like yourself tonight.'  
  
"NYEH... I KNOW YOU EXPECT THE UTMOST GRACE AND AGILITY WHEN IT COMES TO ME... BUT I SEEM TO BE HAVING AN OFF NIGHT..." Papyrus sighed.  
  
"it's not just that, bro. you've been behaving weird, too." Sans stated, looking pointedly at Papyrus who was studiously avoiding his gaze now.  
  
"I-I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT..." Papyrus mumbled. That didn't sound convincing, even to him.  
  
Sans' sockets narrowed at him. "don't lie to me, papyrus." he scolded, but then his tone softened. "it's about that human, _____, isn't it?"  
  
"NYEH?! W-WHAT MAKES YOU SAY THAT??"  
  
'Probably the fact that you've been acting weird and staring at her all night.' Frisk pointed out.  
  
"O-OH..." Papyrus' blush brightened. So they had noticed.  
  
"so, what's going on, paps? do you not like her or something?" Sans asked.  
  
"WHAT?! NO! I MEAN YES! I MEAN... HOW SHOULD I KNOW? I'VE NEVER EVEN TALKED TO HER! NOT THAT I THINK I WOULD NOT LIKE HER... I'M SURE SHE'S A LOVELY PERSON! IT'S JUST-" Papyrus' rambling suddenly went silent.  
  
'It's just...?' Frisk prompted.  
  
"IT'S JUST... I'M NOT SURE WHAT I FEEL..." Papyrus confessed.  
  
"hm..." Sans hummed. "have you considered, i don't know, talking to her?"  
  
"I, UM, WELL..."  
  
'I could introduce you!' Frisk volunteered enthusiastically. 'She's really, REALLY nice! I know you'd like her!'  
  
"I DON'T KNOW... I MEAN, WHAT IF SHE DOESN'T LIKE ME? WHAT IF SHE THINKS I'M WEIRD?" Papyrus responded hesitantly.  
  
"how could anyone not like the great papyrus?" Sans smiled at him encouragingly. "and, while you're undoubtedly weird, she'll be into it. trust me." Sans winked.  
  
'Yeah! You just need to relax a bit and be yourself! Be honest with your feelings!' Frisk told him.  
  
"IF YOU THINK THAT IS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION..." Papyrus gave them a small smile, feeling bolstered by their words.  
  
'Of course!' Frisk beamed, then began tugging Papyrus towards the exit. 'Come on!'  
  
"WHERE ARE WE GOING?" Papyrus asked, confused.  
  
'They're going to be setting off the fireworks, soon! It'll be the perfect place to introduce you!'  
  
"BUT WHAT ABOUT THE MESS?" Papyrus gestured towards the broken glass and water.  
  
"don't worry about that, bro. i'll take care of it." Sans smiled lazily at him.  
  
"YOU'LL TAKE CARE OF IT..." Papyrus glared at him skeptically before allowing Frisk to tug him out the door.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Washua smiled happily at a job well-done. The ladies bathroom was still in ruins, but they were CLEAN ruins. It paused as it noticed a note sitting on a table that had been moved to the middle of the hall with its name on it written in a lazy script. Washua's little bird friend flew over to it and brought the note back.  
  
_'watch your step around the corner. oh, and sorry in advance.'_  
  
Washua blinked in confusion at the note, which was not signed. The little bird flew to the bend in the hallway, glanced to the right, and its feathers immediately ruffled. A feeling of dread filled Washua as it followed.  
  
There, around the corner, was a horrible, HORRIBLE mess. Glass shards everywhere, table over-turned, flowers all over the place, water seeping into the floor, muddy footprints from people who were outside in the garden and then tracked dirt through the spilled water...  
  
Washua felt its water begin to boil in fury.  
  
**"Filthy..."**  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Papyrus fiddled nervously with the hem of his Christmas sweater as he sat on the bench next to Frisk. Frisk had already texted you, asking you to join them, and was watching the door for you so that they could wave you over. Though he'd never admit it out loud, Papyrus was glad to have them here for support. He wasn't sure how he'd handle talking to you on his own, which was strange because he was normally so outgoing and enthusiastic!  
  
Papyrus jumped slightly when Frisk let out a sharp whistle, then turned to see them waving you over, now that they'd gotten your attention. Papyrus swallowed nervously and couldn't decide if he should look away from you so you wouldn't see how anxious he was, or if he should avoid looking away because that could be considered rude. The end result was him quickly looking at you and away repeatedly.  
  
"Hey, Frisk!" You greeted cheerfully.  
  
'Hi, _____!' Frisk beamed back at you. 'You're just in time for the fireworks show!'  
  
"Oh, good. I was a bit worried I'd be late. There was all this broken glass and water in the hallway, and I had to find another way around because Washua was throwing a fit as they cleaned it." you explained.  
  
"WASHUA...?" Papyrus' eyes narrowed in annoyance as he realized just what Sans had meant, now.  
  
"Oh! Um... I'm _____, by the way. It's nice to meet you." You gave Papyrus a shy smile and extended a hand.  
  
"P-PAPYRUS!" Papyrus half-shouted at you. "ER, I MEAN, MY NAME! I'M THE MEET PAPYRUS, IT'S NICE TO GREAT YO-WAIT... THAT'S NOT RIGHT..." he stuttered as he weakly gripped your hand, his cheekbones starting to flush.  
  
Frisk coughed, gaining the attention of both of you before coming to Papyrus' rescue. 'This is the Great Papyrus! He's Sans' brother, and one of my best friends!'  
  
"Ah!" you pretended to be surprised, turning back to Papyrus. "Frisk and Sans have told me a lot of great things about you." You smiled gently at him.  
  
"W-WOWIE..." Papyrus flushed a bit more.  
  
'Now that I've introduced you two, I need to go.' Frisk signed.  
  
"W-WHAT?!" Papyrus exclaimed.  
  
'As the ambassador, I need to give a speech with mom and dad before the start of the fireworks. You'll keep _____ company so she won't be lonely without me, right Papyrus?' Frisk gave him a sly look.  
  
"B-BUT SHOULDN'T I GO WITH YOU? I-I'M YOUR PERSONAL BODYGUARD, AFTER ALL!" Papyrus asked desperately.  
  
'You're off duty right now, Paps! You just relax and enjoy the show!' Frisk signed to him as they started to move away, then, discreetly using Papyrus' body to block their hand signs from you, they added, 'Remember, just relax, be yourself, and be honest about your feelings! You'll be fine!'  
  
Papyrus swallowed nervously and nodded.  
  
"Bye, Frisk!" you waved them off before they disappeared through the throngs of people that were gathering to watch the fireworks.  
  
Without Frisk there, an awkward silence began to settle between you and Papyrus.  
  
"So..." you began. "You're Frisk's personal bodyguard, right? That's a pretty important job."  
  
"Y-YES. I MOSTLY GUARD THEM WHEN THEY'RE AT HOME. UNDYNE SAYS THEIR HOME IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PLACE TO KEEP SAFE, WHICH IS WHY I'M ASSIGNED TO GUARD FRISK THERE AND NOT AT ANY OF THE VENUES WHEN THEY'RE ADVOCATING PEACE BETWEEN MONSTERS AND HUMANS." Papyrus explained, allowing the tension to start leaving his bones as he eased into the simple topic.  
  
"That must be quite exciting." Your smile brightened a bit as Papyrus began to relax.  
  
"EVERY DAY'S AN ADVENTURE WITH THE GREAT PAPYRUS AROUND! NYEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus boasted.  
  
You let out an appreciative laugh, then muttered mostly under your breath. "Don't I know it..."  
  
While he hadn't quite caught what you'd just said, Papyrus felt his slightly-forced smile grow more genuine as he saw you reacting positively to him.  
  
_"BE HONEST ABOUT MY FEELINGS... BE HONEST ABOUT MY FEELINGS... BE HONEST ABOUT MY FEELINGS..."_ He took a deep breath as he repeated Frisk's advice in his head like a mantra.  
  
Papyrus cleared his throat nervously. "I MUST BE HONEST WITH YOU..." he hesitated.  
  
"Honest about what?" You asked, looking at him curiously.  
  
"W-WHENEVER I'M AROUND YOU... W-WHENEVER I LOOK AT YOUR FACE, IT MAKES ME FEEL NAUSEOUS. LIKE I'M GOING TO VOMIT, W-WHICH IS REALLY WEIRD BECAUSE I AM A SKELETON, SO I DON'T HAVE A STOMACH TO VOMIT ANYTHING OUT OF..." Papyrus began to babble.  
  
He hazarded a quick glance up at you and paused. That look on your face... You looked... devastated... He blinked in mild confusion at you before his mind replayed what he'd just said to you, and it suddenly hit him. "GAH! I-I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT! I-I MEAN, YOU DO MAKE ME NAUSEOUS, B-BUT NAUSEOUS IN A GOOD WAY! I-I MEAN, W-WAIT... I-IS THERE SUCH A THING AS G-GOOD NAUSEOUS?? I..." Papyrus flailed, desperately trying to repair the damage he'd just done. His humiliation and horror escalated quickly as he just seemed to make things worse and worse.  
  
Papyrus jumped slightly as he felt warm, soft fingers entwine with his own.  
  
"Hey, easy there. Just take deep breaths. In." Papyrus inhaled deeply as prompted, "And out." Papyrus let out a woosh of air. This was repeated a few more times until Papyrus had calmed down. "There now. Feeling better?" You asked.  
  
"MUCH..." Papyrus admitted. There was a brief silence where the two of you just sat there, fingers entwined as the last vestiges of Papyrus' panic faded away. Unlike the previous silence, this one, while not perfectly relaxed, seemed to lack the extreme awkwardness the previous one had. Papyrus dully noted that you still hadn't pulled your hand away from his... then again, he'd made no attempt to pull away, either. Truthfully, he was actually sort of... enjoying the feeling of your soft, warm fingers against his own...  
  
"I'M SORRY FOR WHAT I SAID, HUMAN. I REALLY DIDN'T MEAN FOR IT TO COME OUT LIKE THAT..." Papyrus apologized.  
  
You gave him a small, bemused smile. "It's alright, Papyrus. I'm just glad you don't hate me so much it makes you sick." you let out a strained chuckle.  
  
"I COULD NEVER HATE YOU!" Papyrus blurted out forcefully, then blushed. While the statement was undoubtedly true, Papyrus didn't hate ANYONE, he surprised himself with just how vehemently the sentiment came out, like the idea of even **disliking** you was offensive.  
Your eyes widened in surprise at the loud declaration, but then your features softened, a blush staining your cheeks, as you smiled at him warmly. Papyrus liked that look on you.  
  
Both of you looked up in mild confusion as everyone who'd gathered outside began to clap. It was then that you realized that Asgore, Toriel, and Frisk had just finished giving their speech about the passing of the Monster Rights Bill, and neither of you had paid attention to a single word of it. Oops.  
  
Any thoughts of embarrassment or regret over that were erased as the first fireworks began to shoot up into the sky. They exploded in an array of colors and patterns, one after another, and you turned your attention back to Papyrus. He was staring up at the sky, a look of awe on his face at each brilliant flash of color. They didn't have fireworks in the underground. Even if they'd been able to make them, it would have been too dangerous setting them off inside the caverns. So, it was no wonder that most monsters, be they child, adult, or senior, couldn't help but stare in child-like wonder at the display.  
  
You subtly squeezed his hand while he was distracted, relishing the feel of skeletal fingers tangled in yours after so long. It had been a hard fight, but it was worth it. HE was worth it. And now... maybe... just, maybe... the two of you could rekindle what was lost to time, this time in a world that was safer for all monsters.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
With the awkwardness behind him, Papyrus found that he was quite enjoying your company. The two of you had talked about your mutual friends, your plans for the holiday, and what you were each going to do now that monsters had rights.  
  
"Well, there's still work to be done, but now that we're over the biggest hurdle of establishing rights for monsters, it should be easier to iron out the finer details." You explained.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH! I GUESS THAT MEANS YOU'LL HAVE MORE FREE TIME IN THE FUTURE!"  
  
"Yep." You smiled. "Not too much, though. I've got a job lined up at Mount Ebott Entrepreneurial Technologies Company after this. I'll be working with Alphys." you explained.  
  
"WOWIE! YOU MUST BE REALLY SMART TO BE WORKING WITH DOCTOR ALPHYS!"  
  
You blushed at the compliment. "Don't get me wrong, I'm nowhere near her level, but I'll do my best."  
  
"YOU CAN DO IT, HUMAN! I KNOW YOU CAN DO GREAT THINGS IF YOU TRY!" Papyrus beamed confidently at you.  
  
Your blush deepened.  
  
"hey, there you two are. i've been looking for you." The two of you looked over to see Sans approaching.  
  
"Hey, Sans." You smiled at him, and he gave you a knowing look.  
  
"YOU WERE LOOKING FOR US?" Papyrus asked.  
  
"yeah, bro. don't you know what time it is?"  
  
Papyrus looked confused. "NO??"  
  
You glanced at the time on your phone. "Oh, wow..."  
  
"'wow' is right. you two have been out here gabbing for two hours. it's nearly midnight." Sans smirked at the two of you. "almost everyone else has gone home for the night, and it's time for all good little skeletons and humans to go to bed so santa can come."  
  
Papyrus gasped. "YOU'RE RIGHT! SANTA CAN'T DROP OFF HIS PRESENTS IF WE'RE NOT IN BED ASLEEP!"  
  
You shot Sans an amused glanced and hoped, for his sake, that he'd taken the time to wrap the gifts from 'Santa' BEFORE the party. Otherwise he was in for a long, sleepless night.  
  
Papyrus turned to you. "I'M GLAD FRISK INTRODUCED US, HUMAN! I HAD A GREAT TIME TALKING WITH YOU!"  
  
You smiled back at him. "I had a great time, too."  
  
"YOU HAVE A GOOD NIGHT, HUMAN! I HOPE SANTA BRINGS YOU LOTS OF PRESENTS BECAUSE, DESPITE SEALING US ALL UNDERGROUND, YOU HAVE CLEARLY BEEN WORKING VERY HARD TO GET BACK ON THE 'NICE' LIST!"  
  
"Thanks?" You weren't sure how to respond to that, but decided to take it as the compliment it was meant to be.  
  
With a nod of acknowledgement, Papyrus turned and started to walk away.  
  
Sans cocked a brow at you, waiting. Not that you needed the prompting.  
  
"H-Hey, Papyrus!" you called out, rushing to catch up with him.  
  
Papyrus turned back to you. "YES?"  
  
"I was thinking... Maybe you'd like to go out to eat sometime? I know this great little Italian restaurant downtown..." You asked, a bit of a nervous edge to your voice.  
  
Papyrus stared at you for a moment before smiling and responding. "THAT SOUNDS GOOD. I'D LIKE THAT."  
  
You beamed at him, relieved. "Great! How does next weekend at 6pm sound?"  
  
"THAT WORKS FOR ME. I WILL SEE YOU NEXT WEEKEND, HUMAN!" Papyrus smiled at you.  
  
You felt your heart swell with joy as you smiled back. "See you then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After being absent for so long in this fic, this chapter felt AMAZING to write. I mostly started writing it entirely from Papyrus' perspective just because I wanted to shift the balance back towards him after the past several weeks of Reader-Reader-Reader, but I'm actually really happy with how it turned out. (Washua, on the other hand, would NOT be happy with this chapter...)
> 
> Anyway, with monster rights secured, it's time for Reader to start wooing our favorite boisterous skeleton again. :D


	62. Hey, I Just Met You, and This is Crazy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's finally on Tumblr? Not that I have any clue what I'm doing, but feel free to go look at my insane ramblings?  
> [The Studio - Tumblr](http://parttimegiraffechoreographer.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Also, in case you missed it, I have a fan art!  
> [Fan art by HummingKitten!](http://hummingkitten.deviantart.com/art/Transmigration-of-the-Soul-Fanart-640136659) (NOTE: Contains spoilers for Chapter 43)

It felt like the entire week had crawled by at a snail's pace before the weekend finally came. But that was to be expected, Papyrus supposed. After all, he was very excited! Not only would he be meeting with you, his latest friend, again, but you two were going to a human pasta restaurant! He was eager to see how human spaghetti compared to his own. He doubted it would be quite as good as his own artisan's hand-crafted noodles, he had to keep his expectations realistic after all, but he was sure they would be delightful in their own way, anyway!  
  
Papyrus finished adjusting his battle-body, which was freshly polished, before stepping out of his room and heading downstairs. Sans and Frisk were seated on the couch, with the TV tuned into a news report about Mettaton's highly anticipated upcoming movie, his first major release since reaching the surface.  
  
'Wow! Your armor's looking extra shiny today, Papyrus!' Frisk smiled at him.  
  
"THANK YOU, FRISK! MAINTAINING ONE'S ARMOR IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF BEING A ROYAL GUARD! ... OR A ROYAL GUARD IN TRAINING... OR A FORMER ROYAL GUARD IN TRAINING, GIVEN THAT THE ROYAL GUARD WAS ACTUALLY DISBANDED..." Papyrus responded, his face growing steadily flustered as he continued to correct himself.  
  
"re **guard** less," Papyrus scowled at his brother's pun, "rumor has it that undyne's going to be working with the local human police to help establish a new station in monster town. it's going to require some extra studying of human laws and special training, but i hear most of the former guards are going to be applying for positions on the new force."  
  
"THAT'S RIGHT! AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE AMONG THEM! OF COURSE, I WILL NEED TO BE ON LIGHTER DUTY DUE TO MY COMMITTMENT AS PERSONAL GUARD TO YOU, FRISK, BUT UNDYNE HAS ALREADY TOLD ME THAT SHE MIGHT HAVE A JOB FOR ME TRAINING NEW OFFICERS! SHE SAID THAT SHE WANTS TO MAKE SURE ANY NEW RECRUITS ARE STRONG AND FIT!"  
  
Sans held up his hand to his mouth and muttered an aside to Frisk. "she also said she wants her office to overlook the training grounds so she can get a good laugh at all those hapless shmucks as they desperately try to keep up with my bro."  
  
Frisk covered their mouth and giggled.  
  
'I'm sure you'll do great training the new police officers, Papyrus!' Frisk smiled at him. 'But aren't you worried you'll get sauce on your armor while on your date with _____?'  
  
"THERE IS NO NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THAT, FRISK! MY BATTLE-BODY IS BUILT TO WITHSTAND POWERFUL MAGICAL AND PHYSICAL PASTA ATTACKS! IT WOULD TAKE QUITE THE KITCHEN EXPLOSION TO DENT THIS ARMOR!" Papyrus boasted proudly. He should know, after all, as he'd endured plenty of culinary catastrophes while training with Undyne. There was a brief pause as he posed, when suddenly his expression shifted to confusion as something clicked. "ER... DID YOU SAY... 'DATE'?"  
  
'...Yes?' Frisk responded, confused why Papyrus was asking this. 'You ARE going on a date with _____ today, aren't you?'  
  
"HAH... YOU MUST BE MISTAKEN, FRISK. WHILE I AM, INDEED, GOING TO HANG OUT WITH THE HUMAN TODAY, IT IS NOT A DATE." Papyrus began to sweat nervously. "...I-IS IT??"  
  
Sans and Frisk exchanged a look before turning back to Papyrus. "pretty sure she was asking you on a date, bro."  
  
"W-W-WHAT?!" Papyrus practically exploded. "B-BUT SHE NEVER SAID IT WAS A DATE! A-AREN'T YOU SUPPOSE TO SAY IT'S A DATE WHEN YOU ASK?!"  
  
"er... not everyone's so explicit about that, paps. for most, going out to dinner is such a common date idea that it's just sort of assumed that both parties will understand that it's a date." Sans told him, somewhat warily given his brother's reaction.  
  
'...Did you not want to go on a date with her, Papyrus?' Frisk asked, a disappointed look on their face.  
  
"NO! I MEAN, THAT'S NOT IT..." Papryus stumbled verbally, taking a breath before continuing. "I-IT'S JUST THAT I WAS PREPARING FOR A FRIEND-DATE, NOT A DATE-DATE! I-" Papyrus' face twisted in panic. "OH NO... THIS WON'T DO! THIS WON'T DO AT ALL!"  
  
Before either Sans or Frisk could react, Papyrus bolted back upstairs and into his room.  
  
Sans and Frisk exchanged worried glances once again before following Papyrus back upstairs to his room.  
  
Both were stunned when they got there.  
  
In the few seconds he'd been in here, Papyrus had started ripping his dresser apart, pulling out each article of clothing, and then quickly reject them and tossing them randomly into the room behind him.  
  
Sans stood there, his mouth gaping as Papyrus' room was looking increasingly like his own. He'd never seen Papyrus make such a mess of his room, even when he was a baby bones.  
  
Papyrus let out a distressed noise as he exhausted his dresser's supply of clothes before darting over to his closet and giving it the same treatment.  
  
Frisk ducked past flying clothes as they darted over to Papyrus and tried to get his attention. When Papyrus remained oblivious to their non-verbal attempts, Frisk resorted to speaking. "Papyrus!"  
  
Papyrus paused, momentarily confused by the rarely-heard voice before looking down at Frisk.  
  
'What are you doing, Papyrus??' Frisk signed, now that they had his attention.  
  
"I THOUGHT THIS WAS A FRIEND-DATE! NOW I NEED TO FIND SOME DATE-DATE CLOTHES BEFORE SHE GETS HERE!" Papyrus declared, still anxious and flustered.  
  
'Uh... Don't you normally wear your date clothes under your armor? You know, the 'Cool Dude' shirt and shorts?' Frisk asked.  
  
Papyrus shook his head and sighed, as if the answer should be obvious. "THOSE ARE MY HOUSE-DATE DATE-DATE CLOTHES. I THOUGHT I WOULD BE ABLE TO GUIDE ANY FIRST-DATE SITUATION INTO A HOUSE-DATE, AND THUS WOULD BE PREPARED TO IMPRESS MY OPPONENT WITH MY DATING PREPAREDNESS! HOWEVER, IT SEEMS THE HUMAN IS CRAFTIER THAN I EXPECTED AND HAS OUT-MANEUVERED ME INTO A SNEAK-ATTACK RESTAURANT-DATE!" Papyrus explained, looking rather impressed that you'd managed to catch him off-guard. "IF I AM TO COMPETE WITH HER DATING POWER, I MUST WEAR APPROPRIATE RESTAURANT-DATE DATE-DATE CLOTHING!" Papyrus then seemed to remember that he was running out of time to find something appropriate to wear and resumed his panicked ransacking of his closet.  
  
Frisk dove back out of the way of the flying clothing, than glanced back at Sans who was casually making his way over to them.  
  
"don't worry, kid. i'll handle this. why don't you head back downstairs in case _____ arrives while i help paps dress to impress?" Sans smiled gently at Frisk.  
  
Frisk nodded and headed back downstairs.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Frisk was just starting to grow impatient when the door to Papyrus' room finally opened and Sans stepped out.  
  
"ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THIS, SANS?" Papyrus asked uncertainly.  
  
Sans smiled back into the room. "i'm positive. you look great, paps! _____ will never know what hit her!"  
  
"IF YOU SAY SO..."  
  
Papyrus then stepped out of his room, and Frisk gasped. Papyrus' outfit was simple, but effective. He was wearing a plain grey t-shirt and black jacket along with a pair of slacks and dress shoes. The outfit was brought to life by the addition of his normal red scarf wrapped loosely around his neck, with one end hanging down the front on his left side and the other down his back. The outfit emphasized his tall, agile stature with an elegance he rarely displayed, while avoiding being overly formal.  
  
Frisk couldn't help but wolf-whistle in teasing appreciation. 'You look amazing, Papyrus! I'm actually kind of jealous that _____ gets to go on a date with you dressed like that!'  
  
Papyrus blushed at the compliment. "NYEH... IT'S A GOOD THING I DID NOT WEAR SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO OUR DATE, THEN, OR YOU MAY HAVE BEEN DRAWN IRREVOCABLY INTO YOUR PASSIONATE LOVE FOR ME, AND THEN WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BE FRIENDS WITHOUT YOU FEELING DESCIMATED THAT I AM UNABLE TO RETURN YOUR FEELINGS!"  
  
Frisk was smiling in amusement. 'Good point. It's for the best that you saved it for _____.'  
  
Papyrus' blush grew more pronounced at that suggestion, though Sans noticed that he made no protests about potentially drawing you in to that point.  
  
Once he'd cooled down a bit, Papyrus glanced at the clock and let out a nervous whine. Time was running short, and he still wasn't prepared for this date!  
  
"what's wrong, paps? something still missing?" Sans asked, seeing his brother's distress.  
  
"I STILL DON'T HAVE A GIFT TO GIVE THE HUMAN ON OUR DATE. EVEN WITH MY NEW DATE-DATE CLOTHES, I'M NOT SURE I'LL BE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH HER DATING POWER IF I'M MISSING SUCH A KEY COMPONENT..." Papyrus admitted. "MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS TO MAKE HER SOME OF MY ARTISAN'S HAND-CRAFTED SPAGHETTI, BUT, EVEN IF I HAD THE TIME TO MAKE IT, IT MIGHT BE CONSIDERED RUDE TO OUT-CLASS THE PASTA RESTAURANT'S OWN MENU BY BRINGING MY OWN EXPERTLY CRAFTED MEAL..."  
  
"i guess you could say a gift like that would be..." Sans paused dramatically, his grin widening as he watched his brother's face twist in helpless frustration at the joke he knew was coming, "... **in bad taste**."  
  
"UGH..." Papyrus grunted in annoyance, pouting slightly at Frisk's stifled giggles. He decided it was best to press on, or he'd risk more of his brother's puns. "ANYWAY, THEN I THOUGHT THAT I COULD GIVE HER A BONE, BUT THAT'S MORE OF A FRIEND-GIFT, NOT A DATE-GIFT..."  
  
The look on Sans' face was... indescribable. It seemed to be some awkward mix of amusement, embarrassment, and horror? He looked like he was going to say something, but apparently decided against it. Weird.  
  
'I've got you covered there, Papyrus!' Frisk beamed.  
  
"YOU DO??" Papyrus turned his attention to Frisk, who seemed unperturbed.  
  
'Yep! I happened to know of something that she's been eyeing, and thought you might want to give it to her on your date, so I used my allowance to buy it for you!' Frisk smiled proudly.  
  
"WHAT? YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE GONE TO SUCH TROUBLE, FRISK! HOW COULD I POSSIBLY GIVE HER A GIFT FROM ME THAT YOU BOUGHT WITH YOUR OWN SAVINGS?"  
  
'You can pay me back, if you want. Then you can honestly say you bought it on my recommendation, and I just picked it up for you!' Frisk suggested.  
  
"I SUPPOSE THAT WOULD WORK..."  
  
'Great! Here you go!' Frisk beamed excitedly, pulling out a small, wrapped box and handing it to Papyrus. 'You can pay me back later!'  
  
Papyrus accepted the small gift and eyed it curiously. "WHAT IS IT?"  
  
'It's a surprise!' Frisk grinned. 'She'll **love** it! Trust me!'  
  
Papyrus nodded his acceptance, carefully stowing the small box in an inside pocket of his jacket.  
  
"so, think you're finally ready for your date, paps?" Sans asked.  
  
"AS READY AS I'LL EVER BE." Papyrus responded, a nervous edge to his tone.  
  
All there was left to do was wait.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
You did not keep him waiting long, a mere 5 minutes later and Papyrus jumped with a start at the sound of the doorbell. You were about 10 minutes early for the date, and normally Papyrus would have been impressed with your punctuality, but after his near-mishap of mistaking your intentions for this outing, he was simply glad Sans and Frisk had been able to help him be prepared before your arrival.  
  
Papyrus quickly smoothed out his clothes, looking back and getting a reassuring nod and thumbs up from Sans and Frisk, before straightening himself to his full height and opening the door.  
  
There you were.  
  
Your eyes traveled down his form, a slightly stunned look on your face as you took in his attire. He looked good. He looked VERY good. You desperately tried to tamp down on the blush rising to your face as thoughts of straddling him and showing him just how attractive you found him flitted through your mind.  
  
_"Not appropriate, _____. VERY not appropriate. Don't forget, he doesn't know you well in this time line. Remember how nervous and inexperienced he was at first last time? You don't want to scare him off, do you? My god, please don't let me scare him off..."_ You felt your excitement coming back under control at the thought of losing him because you were too pushy.  
  
Your eyes drifted past him to where Sans and Frisk were standing. Sans' grin widened, proud of the impression his brother had clearly made, and Frisk fired finger pistols in your direction, winking.  
  
You couldn't help but smile, happy to have these two on your side this go around.  
  
Papyrus' greeting caught in his throat the moment he opened the door and took in your wide-eyed expression. He felt a shiver run up his spine as your eyes raked over him, your cheeks taking on a pink hue. You seemed to glance past him after a moment, and a smile bloomed on your face.  
  
You then returned your attention to him. "Hey." You smiled up at him.  
  
"H-HELLO, HUMAN. ARE YOU READY FOR OUR DATE?" Papyrus hesitated slightly at the last word, a small, lingering worry that Sans and Frisk had been mistaken about your intentions.  
  
To Papyrus' relief, your smile broadened. "I am! We can head over to Marco's right now, if you want?"  
  
Marco's? Ah, that must be the name of the pasta restaurant.  
  
"NYEH! OF COURSE!" Papyrus smiled brightly at you, hoping his expression masked his nerves. He turned back to Sans and Frisk. "I WILL RETURN LATER!"  
  
"later, bro. have fun on your date." Sans smiled at him.  
  
Frisk waved bye enthusiastically.  
  
Papyrus took a deep breath, then stepped outside, shutting the door behind him.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"WHY DO YOU KEEP STOPPING?" Papyrus asked, curiously.  
  
You glanced from Papyrus, to the red traffic light, then back to him. "Because the traffic light is red."  
  
"I THOUGHT BLUE MEANT STOP?" Papyrus responded, confused.  
  
"Not while driving. When you come to a traffic light, red means stop, yellow means slow down and prepare to stop, and green means go." You explained, accelerating as the light turned green.  
  
"WOWIE! I DIDN'T KNOW THAT! UNDYNE AND I FIGURED THE LIGHTS WERE JUST DECORATIONS!" Papyrus exclaimed, excited to learn something new.  
  
"Uh..." Your brow wrinkled in confusion. You didn't remember Papyrus and Undyne being THAT bad at driving. A bit reckless, given their penchant for driving way above the speed limit, but they'd, mostly, obeyed the other rules of the road.  
  
"I WONDER WHAT OTHER RULES THERE ARE? I GUESS THOSE DRIVING LESSONS DOCTOR ALPHYS INSISTED ON SIGNING US UP FOR COULD BE USEFUL, AFTERALL."  
  
Ah. That explained why Alphys had been so freaked out when she arrived at the Christmas party. She had said Undyne was the one who drove them there, and then began muttering something about needing to do something before it resulted in vehicular homicide.  
  
"Er... yeah. There's a lot of rules to driving, which are meant to ensure that everyone stays safe. Admittedly, not everyone's very good about obeying those rules, but it's important to do your best to understand and follow those rules so you don't put yourself or anyone else in a dangerous situation." you explained.  
  
Papyrus nodded in understanding. "I SEE. THEN I WILL DO MY BEST TO LEARN ALL THE RULES! I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE THE CAUSE OF SOMEONE GETTING HURT."  
  
You smiled. That was just like Papyrus, putting thoughts of the safety of others before thoughts of his own safety.  
  
You turned into the parking lot and found a spot. "Well, here we are!" You announced as you turned the car off.  
  
The two of you got out of the car and headed inside.  
  
"Hey, _____!" Cassy, the hostess, greeted you. "And you must be her date!" She smiled at Papyrus.  
  
"THAT'S RIGHT! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! IT IS NICE TO MEET YOU, HUMAN!" Papyrus greeted her.  
  
Cassy's eyes widened slightly, startled by the volume of Papyrus' voice, but then she chuckled. "It's nice to meet you, Papyrus. My name is Cassy, and I'm the hostess here at Marco's."  
  
"Do you have that table I asked for ready?"  
  
"Of course! It's right this way!" Cassy grinned, grabbing two menus and leading the way over to your table. "Why don't you two have a seat, and your waiter will be with you in just a moment."  
  
You pulled off your coat at settled it onto the back of your chair. When you turned to face Papyrus, he was staring. "Um..."  
  
Your nervous utterance seemed to snap Papyrus out of it and he blushed in embarrassment at the realization that he had been staring. "W-WOWIE. I'M SORRY FOR STARING, HUMAN, IT'S JUST THAT YOU LOOK VERY PRETTY IN THAT DRESS. IT REMINDS ME OF THE FIRST TIME I SAW THE SUN."  
  
It was your turn to blush, the butterflies in your stomach going wild over the compliment. "Thank you..." you replied, overwhelmingly pleased that you'd caught his attention. Your outfit wasn't overly fancy, unlike the options Mettaton had provided you with for your first date with Papyrus the last time around. Rather, it was a simple long-sleeve orange dress that flared slightly into pleats past your hips, stopping around mid-thigh, and with a pair of black leggings underneath.  
  
Papyrus smiled, happy with how the date was going so far. He had been briefly worried that is staring would negatively impact his dating power, but he had expertly used the situation to his advantage by using his briefly stunned reaction to enhance the effects of his genuine compliment. He was already winning in this date, despite the advantages you had of picking the location and surprising him with the fact that this is actually a date.  
  
The two of you took your seats and Papyrus picked up his menu. He opened it up to see what sort of drinks this establishment offered and froze. Not only was the menu more expansive than he expected, having sections for soups, salads, sandwiches, seafood, and the like, but it even had an entire section devoted to pasta dishes! His sockets darted over the descriptions for each dish, widening as he read each one. Alfredo sauce? Chicken? Shrimp? He didn't know you could make pasta dishes with these ingredients... He had expected spaghetti, and it was there, alright, but there was so much more than he could have anticipated!  
  
"Having trouble deciding what to get?" You interrupted his thoughts, an amused tint to your tone.  
  
Papyrus clacked his jaw shut, unaware of how long it had been hanging open, before glancing at you over his menu. "ER... UM... YES. THERE IS A GREATER SELECTION THAN I HAD ANTICIPATED."  
  
"I could recommend something, if you like? Although, really, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu, since it's all so well made." You smiled brightly at him, an excited look in your eye.  
  
"Ernesto will be pleased to hear your praises of his cooking!" a voice interrupted, and you both turned to see a portly man, whom you immediately recognized as Marco, approaching. "Of course, this also pleases me, as I taught him everything he knows." Marco winked, and chuckled good-naturedly.  
  
"Hey, Marco!" You greeted him, then turned to Papyrus to introduce him. "Papyrus, this is Marco, the owner of this restaurant. Marco, this is Papyrus, my date."  
  
"IT IS NICE TO MEET YOU, MR. MARCO!"  
  
"Please, please, no need for formalities! I pride myself on maintaining an environment where everyone feels like family!" Marco smiled at him, before turning back to you. "Cassy told me that you were bringing a date this evening, _____, and I was admittedly curious about what lucky man caught the eye of such a lovely young woman such as yourself!"  
  
You blushed slightly and chuckled. "Well, now you know! I thought this would be a good place for our date since Papyrus here is quite the fan of pasta."  
  
"Oh?" Marco turned to Papyrus. "You are a connoisseur of Italian cuisine?"  
  
Papyrus straightened up proudly. "NOT ONLY AM I A FAN, I AM A MASTER SPAGHETTOR, MYSELF! I CRAFT ONLY THE FINEST HAND-MADE SPAGHETTI!"  
  
Marco was beaming at Papyrus now. "Ah! It is an honor to have someone so dedicated to the art of cooking dining with us tonight! I hope our food lives up to your expectations!"  
  
Papyrus' grin grew wider. "I'M SURE YOUR PASTA WILL BE DELICIOUS!"  
  
"Good! Good! Ah, here comes Jeremy to take your order, if that is alright with you?" Marco asked you as your waiter, Jeremy, arrived.  
  
"That should be fine, Marco." You nodded at him. Papyrus looked at you curiously. "Oh! Jeremy actually just started working here today, so he's still learning." you explained. Cassy had gushed to you just last week how relieved she was that Marco was hiring someone else, which would mean she could focus more on her primary role as hostess once he was trained.  
  
Marco nodded. "And since you two are here for a special date, I am more than willing to have someone more experienced wait on you."  
  
Papyrus smiled gently. "THAT SHOULD NOT BE NECESSARY. I AM HAPPY TO BE OF HELP WITH THE HUMAN'S JOB TRAINING."  
  
Marco leaned towards you and, in a not-so-quiet aside, said, "If he is truly as charming and kind as this first impression leads me to believe, than I think you've found yourself a keeper."  
  
You just smiled in response while Papyrus blushed slightly.  
  
"Ah, but here I am, holding you up! I'm sure you must be hungry! So, I will leave Jeremy here to serve you this evening, and take my leave. Do not hesitate to ask for me if there's anything you need."  
  
"It's not a problem at all. Thanks, Marco!" You thanked him.  
  
"IT WAS NICE SPEAKING WITH YOU, HUMAN MARCO!"  
  
Jeremy cleared his throat, pulling out his notepad. His face flushed with embarrassment as he nearly dropped it. "Uh... W-Welcome to Marco's! Can I start you off with something to drink, and perhaps some appetizers?"  
  
"DO YOU HAVE MILK?" Papyrus asked.  
  
"Uh... I think so... I can double check if you'd like."  
  
"I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT, HUMAN! MILK IS IMPORTANT FOR STRONG BONES, YOU KNOW!"  
  
"And I'll have some iced tea, and an order of fried mozzarella, please."  
  
Jeremy jotted down your order before giving you a slightly awkward smile. "I'll get that for you right away!" He then turned and left to place your order.  
  
You returned your gaze to Papyrus who was studying the menu intently now. "Any luck with deciding what you'd like to try?"  
  
Papyrus grimaced slightly. "NO. IT ALL SOUNDS SO WEIRD AND DELICIOUS..." he admitted. He glanced up at you. "ER... YOU WERE SAYING BEFORE THAT YOU COULD RECOMMEND SOMETHING?"  
  
"Of course. Let's see..." you looked down at the menu and considered your options. You already knew Papyrus would like everything on the menu. He had been eating at Marco's nearly every day for a month when you'd first met him last time. Your eyes settled on one of the menu options and a small, reminiscent smile formed on your lips. "You should order the fettuccine alfredo." you told him.  
  
"OH?" Papyrus looked down at his menu to see exactly what that was. "HM. THAT DOES SOUND INTERESTING! I'VE NEVER HAD A PASTA WITH A SAUCE THAT LACKS TOMATOES, BEFORE!"  
  
"It's something a friend once recommended to me." You smiled wistfully at him, though he missed the look as he was still perusing at the menu. It had been what Papyrus himself had recommended to you the first time you had lunch with him here at Marco's. Now, with your roles were reversed and you being the regular guiding him through the menu, it had seemed the only appropriate response.  
  
It was at that moment that Jeremy returned with your drinks and appetizer. "Here you go!" He placed the items on the table. "Now, are you ready to order, or do you need a few more minutes?"  
  
Papyrus looked at you to see if you had decided what to get, and you nodded at him. He then returned his attention to Jeremy. "I WILL HAVE THE FETTUCCINE ALFREDO, PLEASE!"  
  
Jeremy jotted that down. "And for you, miss?"  
  
"I'll have the spaghetti alla carbonara." If you were going to recommend to Papyrus what you had ordered that day, you may as well complete the reference by having what he had ordered.  
  
"Very good! I'll place your order right away!" Jeremy smiled, a bit more confidently this time, and left.  
  
"NYEH HEH! HE SEEMS LIKE A VERY NICE HUMAN!" Papyrus commented.  
  
"He's always been a sweetheart." You affirmed. Papyrus' curious look made you immediately realize your gaffe. Jeremy had just started today, so you should have no more knowledge to base such an assessment on than Papyrus. Shit. "Erm... That is, Marco's very particular about the type of person he hires, so I have no doubt that Jeremy is a nice person..." You floundered.  
  
There was something... odd about your explanation... Something that didn't quite settle right in Papyrus' mind, but he chose not to push it. "AH, I SEE."  
  
An awkward silence descended on the table as you mentally berated yourself. _"Stupid! You can't let Papyrus know about the prior reset! Not yet, anyway. I mean, how would YOU feel if a total stranger came up to you and said 'Hey, we were totally in love in an alternate reality'? I mean, even with friends to corroborate it, it would still leave you with this awkward feeling that everyone expected you to fall in love with this stranger and that no one was giving you a choice. And, knowing Papyrus, if I told him that we were in love once upon a time, he'd go through the motions to make me happy, even if he didn't feel it himself. I don't want my relationship with Papyrus to be based on anyone's expectations that it should exist... Even my own... I want him to reach that conclusion again himself... I want him to love me on his own terms. I want him to see me the same way he did before... as that awkward, flawed fool of a woman, who found the strength to stand up and move forward again thanks to the love and support of those around her, especially the unwavering support of one goofy, optimistic, wonderfully pure-souled skeleton..."_  
  
Papyrus watched you quietly as you seemed to become lost in your own thoughts. You looked upset and conflicted over something, and he couldn't help but wonder why. He had done a bit of research on you after the party last week, so he knew that you were the barrier mage, one of the seven mages who had trapped monsters underground long ago. He also knew, however, that it was a role that you, and probably the other mages, hadn't wanted. That you had been forced to fight against monsters. When Frisk had finally freed them, you sought out King Asgore and tried to make amends by fighting for monster rights. Papyrus himself hadn't really followed the news about it very closely, but he had already known that you had successfully became one of their top advocates.  
  
But... did you still blame yourself for sealing them underground? As optimistic as he was, Papyrus was not completely oblivious. He had seen plenty of people putting up a strong front while secretly struggling with their anger and depression. Yet, that didn't seem to quite fit with you. The more he watched your expression, the more convinced he became that it wasn't anger or depression. You seemed more sadly nostalgic, more... worried.  
  
You were startled out of your thoughts by the feeling of bones on your hand. Your wide eyes darted down to see Papyrus' hand gently covering yours. Your eyes then lifted to his and he gave you a soft, tender smile. It was then that you realized that you had become lost in your fearful mind. That you had been sitting there, silent and remote. Yet, that hadn't deterred Papyrus. Instead, he reached out to you, literally and figuratively, to draw you from your worried thoughts. He stayed quiet, not asking you to explain your actions. Simply offering you, a virtual stranger to him, his steady support.  
  
Tears welled up in the corner of your eyes, threatening to fall as an appreciative smile pulled at your lips. God, you loved him. You loved him so, so much. Your resolve to do everything you could to win back his love was strengthened.  
  
The moment did not last, however, as your food arrived a few moments later.  
  
"Here you go! One fettuccine alfredo, and spaghetti alla carbonara!" Jeremy placed your food in front of each of you as Papyrus withdrew his hand to make room on the table.  
  
"THANK YOU, HUMAN! IT SMELLS DELICIOUS!" Papyrus thanked Jeremy, and you took their moment of distraction to quickly wipe the lingering moisture from your eyes.  
  
"You're welcome! If there's anything else you need, just let me know." Jeremy nodded to the both of you and left you to your meals.  
  
You watched as Papyrus twirled his first bite of pasta onto his fork, then lifted it up to examine more closely. After a few moments of scrutiny, he took his first bite of this new food. You watched eagerly as his eye sockets widened, a look of delight crossing his features.  
  
"So? What do you think?" You asked, smiling brightly.  
  
"IT IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I'M USED TO, BUT IT IS VERY GOOD!" Papyrus grinned at you.  
  
"I knew you'd like it!" you beamed back. Despite the fact that you, quite literally, already knew that he'd like it, it still felt good to see his surprised and delighted face upon trying it.  
  
The two of you began digging into your meals, chatting animatedly about various subjects from family, to television, to friends. To your relief, conversation came easily, and you were able to steer clear of revealing any secret knowledge about things you shouldn't know.  
  
"...AND THEN SHE SLAM-DUNKED DOCTOR ALPHYS INTO THE TRASH CAN!"  
  
"Undyne threw her into the trash?!" you were absolutely aghast.  
  
"ER... SHE DID SO AFFECTIONATELY?" Papyrus smiled awkwardly, a nervous sweat beading on his brow.  
  
You shook your head, absolutely exasperated by this. "And this somehow brought them together??" you asked.  
  
"WELL... AFTER ALPHYS CONFESSED TO UNDYNE ABOUT HER LYING TO MAKE UNDYNE THINK SHE WAS COOL, UNDYNE TOLD HER THAT SHE DIDN'T CARE ABOUT ANY OF THAT!" Papyrus beamed.  
  
You stared at him, more confused than ever. "Uh..."  
  
Papyrus continued on, "UNDYNE TOLD HER THAT SHE LIKED DOCTOR ALPHYS BECAUSE SHE WAS PASSIONATE! THAT, ANYTHING SHE SET HER MIND TO, SHE PUT HER ENTIRE HEART AND SOUL INTO IT! 100-PERCENT! SHE TOLD HER THAT SHE DIDN'T WANT DOCTOR ALPHYS TO FEEL LIKE SHE HAD TO LIE TO ANYONE, AND THAT SHE WANTED TO HELP HER BECOME HAPPY WITH WHO SHE IS!"  
  
A smile had crept onto your face now. That was so like Undyne. "So, she helped Alphys with her confidence issues?" you asked.  
  
"ERM... WELL, NO..." Papyrus replied, a shady look on his face as his eyes darted away from yours.  
  
"No??" You were back to being utterly confused.  
  
Papyrus' bright grin returned. "SHE HAD ME DO IT!"  
  
You could do nothing but stare in baffled confusion at Papyrus.  
  
"FOR HER CONFIDENCE TRAINING, WE JOGGED 100 LAPS WHILE HOOTING ABOUT HOW GREAT WE ARE!" Papyrus beamed for a moment, but then his grin sagged into an awkward, nervous smile. "...OR, RATHER, THAT WAS THE PLAN. WE... UH... KIND OF STOPPED A BIT EARLY. ... VERY EARLY..." His look of mild consternation softened into a gentle smile. "BUT... FOR THE, VERY SHORT, TIME WE SPENT TRAINING, SHE DID VERY WELL!"  
  
You smiled fondly at Papyrus. "I'm sure she appreciated your help."  
  
Papyrus seemed pleased by this. "I AM NOT NEARLY AS CLOSE WITH DOCTOR ALPHYS AS I AM WITH UNDYNE, BUT I AM HAPPY TO HELP HER WHENEVER SHE NEEDS IT."  
  
The two of you settled into a comfortable silence as you waited for Jeremy to bring you some boxes for your leftovers and your bill for the evening.  
  
You glanced up at Papyrus nervously as you broke the silence. "So... I, uh... have something for you."  
  
"HM?" Papyrus looked at you curiously.  
  
You reached into your purse and pulled out a wrapped gift, handing it to Papyrus. "Here."  
  
"A PRESENT?" Papyrus' eyes lit up. "AH! I SEE YOU FOLLOW THE SAME DATING HANDBOOK THAT I DO! I, TOO, HAVE A GIFT FOR YOU!" He reached into an inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small box, handing it to you.  
  
"Oh! Thank you!" You examined the box, then looked up at Papyrus. "You first."  
  
"VERY WELL!" Papyrus nodded, than tore the wrapping off the gift. "A BOOK? ... 'PUZZLES OF THE AGES: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO PUZZLES PAST AND PRESENT'... H-HOW DID YOU KNOW?!" Papyrus exclaimed, astonished.  
  
You blushed, pleased. "Your brother told me you're a big fan of puzzles, so when I saw this I thought you might like it." That was technically a lie. It was Papyrus himself that had told you about this book. At least you didn't end up being roasted by Gerson when you bought it this time.  
  
"THIS IS A WONDERFUL GIFT! THANK YOU SO MUCH!" Papyrus' happy face suddenly fell, becoming nervous, but determined. "YOU ARE QUITE SKILLED AT THE ART OF DATING, I SEE. I HAVE LITTLE DOUBT THAT, IF I WERE TO CHECK THE DATING HUD ON MY PHONE RIGHT NOW, YOU'D HAVE QUITE AN IMPRESSIVE DATING POWER. HOWEVER! I WILL NOT BE COUNTED OUT YET! NOW, OPEN YOUR GIFT!"  
  
Papyrus watched nervously as you ripped off the paper and slowly opened the box within. It occurred to him that he had no idea what was inside, just that Frisk had assured him that it was something you would love. He watched your eyes widen and your jaw go slack in awe.  
  
"P-Papyrus??" you whispered his name in confusion and wonder. Your eyes traveled from the contents of the box to his face, a searching look in your eyes. "How did you know..." you trailed off.  
  
Papyrus glanced down at the box, mildly confused by the intensity of your reaction. It appeared to be a pendant, the purplish stone within it unmistakably one of the ones from the underground.  
  
He looked back up at you and blushed in embarrassment. "I... MUST BE HONEST WITH YOU, HUMAN. I DIDN'T PICK OUT THE GIFT. FRISK BROUGHT IT OVER FOR ME TO GIVE TO YOU ON OUR DATE..."  
  
Papyrus missed the brief look of disappointment in your eyes before it switched to soft appreciation. "They're a great wing-man, it seems."  
  
"NYEH... YES, THEY ARE. THEY'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS MANAGED TO SURPASS ME WITH THEIR DATING PROWESS, SO IT IS UNSURPRISING THAT THEIR GIFT CHOICE WOULD BE GREAT."  
  
Of course it was Frisk who picked this out. They were the only one remaining who understood its significance to you. It's not like Papyrus could have known. You mentally kicked yourself for that brief moment where you thought that Papyrus, on some subconscious level, had remembered. Still, you appreciated the gift, regardless, and immediately put it on.  
  
"Thank you, Papyrus." You smiled fondly at him, your grin growing broader as he blushed.  
  
Soon after, the two of you had your food packed up, and settled the tab. (With Papyrus 'sneaking' your contribution to the bill back into your purse and paying for it all himself.)  
  
The drive back to the skeleton brother's house was pleasant and comfortable. Once you arrived, you got out of the car and walked Papyrus to the door.  
  
"I had a great time." You told him.  
  
"AS DID I! MY DATING HUD INDICATES THAT WE ARE PRETTY EVENLY MATCHED IN DATING SKILL! IT WAS GREAT TO GO ON A DATE WITH SOMEONE ABLE TO MATCH MY OWN CALIBER!" You chuckled lightly at the boast. "AND THERE ARE SO MANY MORE DISHES ON THE MENU... I HAD NO IDEA THAT THERE WERE SO MANY WAYS TO MAKE PASTA!" he exclaimed, clearly excited over the discovery.  
  
You laughed joyfully at his excitement. "You better believe it! There are entire books dedicated to the different meals you can make with pasta!"  
  
"E-ENTIRE BOOKS?!" Papyrus' eyes widened comically.  
  
"Yep!" You grinned. "I've got a few cookbooks at home, so maybe I could show you sometime?"  
  
"REALLY?!" Papyrus' eyes were sparkling with delight at the idea.  
  
"Of course. Maybe I could even show you how humans prepare food, since, uh, some monster cooking can be a little too intense for regular human consumption." Intense, yes, but at least now you knew how powerful the healing effects of Papyrus' cooking were.  
  
"WOWIE! YOU'D DO THAT?" Papyrus asked you excitedly.  
  
"I'd be happy to! So... it's a date?" you asked coyly.  
  
Papyrus' breathing seemed to stop. "A-A... DATE? YOU WANT TO GO ON ANOTHER DATE?"  
  
You confidence dwindled. "I-If you want to... If not, then that's fine, too..." You felt your soul constrict painfully at the thought that maybe Papyrus didn't want to go on another date with you. Maybe you'd screwed up this time, and he'd only ever see you as a friend...  
  
Papyrus' jaw opened and shut a few times in shock before he finally managed to murmur out. "I'd like that..."  
  
He watched as his words hit you and the look of hope returned to your eyes. You let out a tiny, shuddering breath of relief, and the smile returned to your face.  
  
He had been surprised that you wanted to go on a second date with him, not because he thought you didn't like him, but because he'd never been asked on a second date before. Watching your confidence shatter had hurt. He'd felt bad for making you doubt yourself. He had opened his mouth automatically to soothe you over the same way he'd done with Frisk when his brain caught up with him and he realized that he DID want to go on a second date with you. He really, REALLY wanted to.  
  
Papyrus felt his soul flutter excitedly in his chest as he took in your joy over the fact that he'd agreed to a second date. So caught up was he in that feeling, that he barely noticed as something, deep within his soul, finally clicked into place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dating Start!
> 
> The first date has gone well, and the Papyrus and Reader's relationship has been re-established. :)


	63. Matters of the Heart: When True Heroes Collide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who had this queued up and ready to post and then forgot to do it at the normal time? Whoopsie daisy!

"no date clothes today?" Sans asked as he paused at Papyrus' open door.  
  
Papyrus was standing in front of his mirror, adjusting the straps on his armor to make sure it was secured properly.  
  
"THEY'RE UNDER MY BATTLE BODY, OF COURSE." Papyrus responded, tugging on a strap.  
  
"oh. were you planning on going to train with undyne today, then?" Sans asked curiously. It was Saturday, and while Papyrus always had the weekends off, he'd begun spending his Saturdays with you since the two of you started dating over a month ago, and then his Sundays were spent training with Undyne.  
  
"NYEH? WELL, NO. BUT, I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE _____ TO UNDYNE TODAY! SHE AND DOCTOR ALPHYS HAVE ALREADY PLANNED SOME FUN ACTIVITIES FOR ALL OF US AND, KNOWING UNDYNE, I FIGURED IT WAS BEST IF I WENT PREPARED..."  
  
Sans let out a snort of amusement. "Guess that 'lesson' of hers at Frisk's beach party last summer really **sank in**." His grin grew to shit-eating proportions.  
  
Papyrus groaned in frustration at the pun. It was true, though. He didn't think he'd be able to forget that day, no matter how much he wished he could. Long story short, a fully-armored Undyne had caught him off-guard in his swim trunks and, after a brief wrestling match on the ocean floor, he had emerged covered in seaweed and with a crab clinging in desperate confusion to the inside of his ribs. It had been incredibly uncomfortable and quite embarrassing. Undyne had told him to consider it a lesson that he should always be prepared.  
  
Thankfully, before Sans could make any more puns, the doorbell rang.  
  
"THAT WILL BE _____!" Papyrus announced excitedly. "I'LL SEE YOU LATER, BROTHER!"  
  
Sans watched as his brother ran down the steps and over to the door. You and Papyrus gave him one last wave before exiting to head over to Undyne and Alphys' place. It had only been a month since the two of you started dating, and while those who didn't know Papyrus that well might not see a difference, Sans saw clear as day that his brother had become much happier since meeting you. Not for the first time since meeting you nearly a year ago, Sans was glad you came.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"O-Oh! Please, come in and make yourselves at home!" Alphys smiled at the two of you as she opened the door wider to let you in.  
  
"HELLO, DOCTOR ALPHYS!" Papyrus smiled at her. "WHERE'S UNDYNE?"  
  
"U-Undyne's in the kitchen right now p-preparing some snacks."  
  
"OH! I'LL GO HELP HER!" Papyrus announced before heading off towards the kitchen.  
  
You turned to Alphys as the two of you settled on the couch, where she was already watching some of the later episodes of Mew Mew Kissy Cutie. "Hey, Alph. How's it going?"  
  
"Not too bad... Undyne's really excited to meet you." Alphys relaxed a bit.  
  
"Oh?" You asked.  
  
Alphys nodded. "She's been asking me all kinds of questions about you, since we work together now, and all. I think she's trying to determine if you're a good match for Papyrus..."  
  
"Well, if I can get Sans' approval, Undyne's shouldn't be hard." you responded casually, leaning back and relaxing.  
  
"I-It might be harder than you think..." Alphys responded, the nervous edge returning to her voice.  
  
You looked over at Alphys, who was wringing her claws together anxiously, and gave her a knowing smile. "Trust me, after what it took to gain her trust last time, I feel I can handle anything."  
  
Alphys looked at you curiously. She had gotten to know you a bit during the campaign for monster rights, to the point where she was able to converse with you at functions and the Christmas party, but she hadn't really even considered that the two of you might be friends until you had called her your friend after dragging her down to a lower-floor lunch room a couple weeks ago. Alphys had wondered what had driven you to pick that particular floor to eat lunch on, and why you had seemed dead-set on befriending one of the employees there, Mariana. It was then that Alphys had noticed the... inconsistencies. While you were clearly bright and observant, there were times where you seemed to know things that you shouldn't have known... Alphys had finally built up the courage to ask you about it on Friday and, though you were surprised, you didn't seem mad. Quite the opposite, actually. You seemed relieved that she had been able to pick up on that. The two of you sat down in her private break room and you explained about the timelines, and how it was a secret from most people. It had been a little hard to believe at first, but a quick text to Sans and Frisk had confirmed your story. After Alphys had gotten over the shock, she had let out an excited squeal. It was just like something that would happen in an anime! She had wanted to hear every detail about your experience, but you had laughed and said that it was quite the long story, and promised to tell her more about it, later.  
  
Alphys was burning with curiosity about how you had befriended Undyne in the previous timeline. Before she could ask you to elaborate, though, Undyne and Papyrus returned.  
  
"Yo, nerds! Hope you like your chisps extra-crispy!" Undyne shouted, slamming a bowl of, somehow flaming, chisps onto the table.  
  
Alphys hurriedly grabbed a nearby fireproof blanket and smothered the flames, leaving a bowl of, as advertised, extra-crispy popato chisps.  
  
"WHO WANTS SOME TEA?" Papyrus asked.  
  
"I'll have some." You responded. You were going to need it if you were going to choke down any of those chisps out of politeness.  
  
After you had accepted the cup of tea, Papyrus straightened up and cleared his throat. "AHEM! UNDYNE, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO MEET MY GIRLFRIEND, _____! _____, THIS IS MY BEST FRIEND, UNDYNE!"  
  
"Nice to meet you, punk." Undyne extended her hand.  
  
You immediately recognized the intense look in her eye and mentally braced yourself as you reached out to shake her hand. "It's nice to meet you, too!" you replied pleasantly.  
  
Though you were unsurprised, Undyne's brutal grip on your hand still hurt. Her eye narrowed appraisingly as you struggled to keep your expression friendly through the pain. The result was less than effective.  
  
"Heh." Undyne smirked, and released your hand, much to your relief. "That was a pretty wimpy handshake, you know?"  
  
"UNDYNE, BE NICE." Papyrus scolded her.  
  
"Hey, I'm not trying to be mean about it! It was just an observation!" Undyne held her hands up towards Papyrus placatingly.  
  
"It's alright." you assured him, flexing your hand to try and regain feeling. "I imagine most people's handshakes would be when compared to hers."  
  
"S-So, why don't we get started with some games?" Alphys suggested, gesturing to a pile of board games.  
  
"I've got a better idea!" Undyne grinned deviously. "Why don't we have a little sparring match?"  
  
"AS MUCH AS I LIKE SPARRING WITH YOU, UNDYNE, OUR MATCHES TEND TO TAKE A WHILE. SHOULDN'T WE DO SOMETHING THAT INCLUDES _____ AND DOCTOR ALPHYS?" Papyrus asked.  
  
"I didn't mean you, Paps."  
  
You felt your heartbeat quicken as you sensed the danger in her tone, her eye locking onto you.  
  
"NYEH??" Papyrus responded in confusion.  
  
"O-Oh! Undyne, **no!** Y-You can't-" Alphys began to sputter.  
  
"Relax!" Undyne cut her off, giving her a calm smile. "She's the freaking barrier mage, isn't she?" her gaze returned to you, the challenging look back in her eye. "I'm sure she can handle herself, right?"  
  
"Uh..." You responded intelligently.  
  
"UNDYNE, I REALLY DON'T THINK-"  
  
"Come on, **pal!** " Undyne slung her arm heavily across your shoulders, giving you a toothy grin. "What's a little sparring between friends?" She leaned in close and began to hiss quietly in your ear. "Unless, of course, you're too worried that the spell you cast on Papyrus will be broken when I beat the shit out of you?"  
  
"What?" You responded automatically while your brain quickly realized exactly what was happening.  
  
"That's right, **mage...** " Undyne continued to whisper. "I know **exactly** what you're doing... I know all about your **mind-control kisses**... Did you think I wouldn't notice how **weird** it is for my **best friend** , who has been **completely oblivious** to most potential romantic partners to suddenly fall **head-over-heels** for some human mage?" She hissed.  
  
"Undyne, I don't have mind-control powers." You hissed back, fully aware of the awkward tension in the room as Papyrus and Alphys watched you and Undyne whisper back and forth, your words obscured by the sound of the TV.  
  
"Suuuure... That's what you'd **like** me to think!" Undyne scoffed. "If you really want me to believe that, then you're going to have to prove it!"  
  
"By, what? Letting you beat the hell out of me?" you grouched back.  
  
"No. I don't want you to let me beat the hell out of you." She responded, to your mild surprise. "I want you to **fight**. I want to see your passion, your devotion... I want to see how hard you're willing to fight for his love!"  
  
A small smile worked its way onto your lips. There was the Undyne you knew and loved. She was worried about Papyrus, and needed to be assured that you weren't trying to hurt him. That you honestly and truly cared for him. So, she was testing your resolve the only way she knew how.  
  
"Alright." You spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.  
  
Undyne's eye widened slightly in surprise. She had clearly expected you to back down, too afraid to fight her.  
  
"W-What?! A-Are you saying you're going to f-fight Undyne?!" Alphys squeaked anxiously, turning a bit pale.  
  
"_____, YOU DON'T NEED TO SPAR WITH UNDYNE..." Papyrus agreed, equally anxious.  
  
"I don't have to, no..." You locked your eyes onto her own. "...But if that's what it takes to show her how serious I am, than that's what I'm going to do."  
  
Some of the tension left Undyne's face as she studied your own, a hint of respect reflected in her eye. "Heh. Alright, punk. Let's see what you're made of."  
  
You were hoisted to your feet by Undyne and dragged from the room.  
  
"O-Oh, dear..." Alphys mumbled nervously, wringing her claws.  
  
"FOR ONCE, I'D HAVE TO AGREE..." Papyrus replied, before the two of them followed you out of the room.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Papyrus and Alphys watched nervously from the sidelines in Undyne's training room as the two of you stretched before the match.  
  
You'd be lying if you said you weren't nervous. You knew perfectly well what Undyne was capable of, and while you were primed and ready magically, physically you were nowhere near prepared for this. You had spent most of the past year campaigning for monster rights, and getting yourself back into shape had been put on the backburner.  
  
But you knew you didn't have to WIN... You just had to give her a good enough fight to convince her of your intentions...  
  
_"Ugh... I am going to be dead tired after this..."_ you mentally groaned.  
  
"You ready, punk?" Undyne asked, getting into a battle stance.  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be." You nodded, turning to face her, feeling the steady hum of your magic.  
  
Undyne smirked at you. "Then show me what you've got!" she shouted and lunged forward, a spear forming in her hand.  
  
You dropped into a defensive stance and summoned your shield to block the blow. The strike pushed you back a few inches, but you held steady on your feet.  
  
Undyne spun and swung her spear at your side, but you moved your shield and blocked that, too. You thrust out your other arm and slammed her with another shield, knocking her back. You saw excitement building in her eye as her grin widened.  
  
"Hehe... Not bad, dweeb, but just how much can you handle?" her eye narrowed dangerously.  
  
_"Shit..."_ you barely had time to think before she lunged at you again. This time, your defensive stance was completely ineffectual, and while your shield blocked the damage from the blow, the force behind it still sent you flying backwards a few feet onto your ass.  
  
Your concentration broke temporarily, bringing down your shield after you landed. Undyne, however, didn't seem inclined to go easy on you after your small display of power, and surged forward after you.  
  
You yelped and dove to the side as her spear came crashing down into the mat, piercing through it like it was nothing.  
  
"U-U-Undyne!!" Alphys squealed in terror at the near miss.  
  
Papyrus stood there, mouth agape and eye sockets wide. In his mind, he warred with himself. He wanted to jump in and defend you, but this was your fight. You had agreed to it. And, besides, this was Undyne, his best friend. She would never actually hurt you... would she??  
  
Undyne yanked the spear out of the mat and hefted it again to strike at your new location, but snarled in surprise as something hit her behind the knee and sent her sprawling backwards.  
  
You scrambled to your feet and tried to put some distance between you and Undyne before she could recover from being knocked over by your shield. You never thought it would happen, but, at the moment, you were grateful for all those resets fighting Chara. You're not sure you would have thought to try that in the heat of the moment if you hadn't already honed that tactic against the psychotic child.  
  
Far too soon for your liking, though, Undyne was back on her feet and, with a roar, rushed towards you. She quickly closed the gap and began stabbing at you with her spear, but you weren't about to make the same mistake twice. You didn't simply block the strike head-on, allowing her to knock you back. Instead, you combined a partial dodge with an angled shield to deflect each blow to the side, allowing you to keep your feet as she followed you around the room.  
  
"Hold still!" She snapped at you, her expression a mix of excitement and frustration at this new tactic.  
  
"I'm *huff* going to have to decline... *puff*" you panted out.  
  
Undyne growled, switching her attack from stabbing to swiping at your sides. Just because a successful hit wouldn't pierce your flesh this way didn't make it any less dangerous, though. You altered your tactic to ducking and jumping while deflecting the blow up or down. Undyne, though, was relentless, striking too quickly for you to get in a decent counter-attack.  
  
You ducked, deflecting her strike upwards, your breathing growing heavy from the physical exertion. Too late did you notice the second spear formed in her other hand, the predatory glint in her eye as she swung it at your exposed side. You barely had time to brace yourself for the impact...  
  
...when it passed right through you. Your surprise and relief were almost instantly erased as you realized what that meant. Your soul hovered before you, it's faceted emerald gleam rimmed with the green glow of magic.  
  
Undyne jumped back, away from you. "Hehehe... This is the end of the line for you. Your soul is green now, and there's no running when you're green! I guess you'll just have to learn to face me head-on!" she grinned triumphantly.  
  
Papyrus watched anxiously as Undyne managed to lock you in place with her green magic. You had been doing quite well so far, far better than he had actually expected. Not that he didn't have faith in your abilities, it's just that you were very gentle and sweet, and he had never had the opportunity to see your magic in action, so he'd just kind of assumed that you had little to no combat training or experience.  
  
"Now, normally I'd provide my opponent with a shield to try and block my assault with, but since you're ALREADY such an expert with shield magic, we're going to see just how strong your magic is!" Undyne sneered.  
  
You took the brief reprieve to try and catch your breath. You weren't surprised by this turn of events. After all, you were used to blocking Undyne's spear attacks with your shields after training with her last time. You were actually a little relieved. This part of Undyne's attacks was about testing your observation and magic rather than taxing your physical speed and strength.  
  
Your relief was short-lived as Undyne summoned her spears.  
  
"Fuck..." you murmured out loud as dozens upon dozens of spears formed. This sort of attack was more like what she used to do to try and push you beyond your limits after she'd been training you for MONTHS... It seemed that Undyne really wasn't going to go easy on you in this fight...  
  
"U-UNDYNE, DON'T YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING A LITTLE TOO FAR??" Papyrus asked, his voice higher than normal in his anxiety.  
  
"The mage is free to cry uncle whenever she's had enough. So, what do you say, oh great and terrible barrier mage? Are you going to wimp out on me?" Undyne asked mockingly, her eye boring into yours, daring you.  
  
You glared back. Undyne wasn't normally this intense in her battle style, but you could see what she was doing. She was trying to scare you into backing down, into proving that you weren't actually willing to fight for Papyrus. That's what this display of power was. If you backed down now, you would never be worthy in her eyes.  
  
Undyne's brow rose in surprise as you smirked at her, an inkling of red beginning to bleed along the edges of your soul.  
  
"I'm just getting started." you stated confidently.  
  
"Heh..." Undyne let out a short, surprised laugh, a vaguely proud smile pulling at her lips. "I'll give you one thing, punk. You've got a hell of a lot of bravado..." Her gaze became intense and excited, her shark-like grin widening. "You're going to regret that."  
  
Before anything more could be said, the assault began. You formed your shield and twisted and turned to meet the spears, allowing your focus to shift to sensing the direction of the magic. The speed of the spears rapidly increased as you blocked more and more in this seemingly endless assault. Every couple of spears, one would slip past your defenses due to your slower physical reflexes and strike you, but you grit your teeth against the feel of magic crackling violently through your body and moved to the next position.  
  
Your eyes widened and your hands shot up on either side of you, blocking two arrows coming from opposite directions at once. "Son of a-" you moved the shields to block two more at once. It seemed Undyne was using a new tactic, even with your experience from the previous timelines...  
  
"Gah ha ha ha! Yes! That's it!" Undyne crowed, cackling.  
  
Nervous sweat was dripping down your face as you warded off the assault the best you could. At least there was one advantage to Undyne doubling-up on her attack... She ran out of conjured spears twice as quick, and a minute later was darting forward to release you from the green magic.  
  
The dangerous smile on Undyne's face dropped when, as soon as she had released you from her magic, there was a loud crack and you disappeared. She didn't have much time to process this before she was slammed from behind by a wall of shielding magic.  
  
The attack threw Undyne forward, but she quickly turned the momentum into a forward roll, leaping back to her feet afterwards and turning to find you behind her. Your eyes were locked on her, more determination than ever glowing from your soul, and it suddenly became Undyne's turn to go on the defensive.  
  
You thrust a shield towards Undyne's front and, though she tried to break it with her spear, she was unable to and was forced to stumble backwards. You continued to attack Undyne with your shields, forcing her to brace herself, dodge, or be pushed off balance. A few times she nearly got close enough to counter attack, but every time she did, you just teleported to another part of the room.  
  
Undyne growled in annoyance. She wasn't sure what you were doing. Sure, you were knocking her around and keeping her from getting close enough to counter-attack, but your shields didn't do any damage, and there's no way you could keep that up forever. Eventually, you'd just wear yourself out. As far as tactics go, it was a pretty bad one.  
  
"Huh??" Undyne grunted, glancing behind her in surprise. It felt like she'd backed into a corner, but she was in the middle of the sparring floor. She was confused at first when she saw that she'd stumbled back into a pair of your barriers, and that they weren't moving. Her head shot forward, eye wide as she suddenly realized what you were doing.  
  
Undyne surrounded herself with spears, mentally commanding them to jam themselves into the rapidly shrinking gap between the shields, just barely preventing you from boxing her in completely. The magical walls began to close in around her and she summoned more spears to jam horizontally within the box to keep the walls at bay.  
  
_"Damn."_ you mentally cursed. You were so close to boxing Undyne in tight enough that she wouldn't be able to summon her spears or build up a powerful enough swing to break through. Your magic strained against the spears, and while you felt like you could break them if you really tried, your soul shuddered in fear of what you could do to Undyne if you weren't able to stop the force of the crushing walls in time once the spears snapped.  
  
"NGAAAAHH!!" Undyne roared, summoning spears and immediately launching them into one of the walls of the box while pulling her fist back and punching it over and over again.  
  
The shield began to shudder under the onslaught, and after a minute, a crack formed in its surface. This seemed to spur Undyne on as she redoubled her efforts, causing the crack to widen. You did your best to hold the box together, to keep it from breaking, but as the cracks spread it became clear that it wouldn't last.  
  
With one last howl of fury, Undyne slammed her fist into the crack and the shield shattered.  
  
You barely managed to Blink out of the way as the remaining spears shot free. Undyne seemed to have wizened to your Blinking, though, and used the sound of your reappearance to dive at you, spear in-hand the moment you Blinked.  
  
"AHH!" You yelped as Undyne tackled you to the ground. She raised her spear above her head as she had you pinned, her eye staring at you wildly.  
  
You felt your heart stop for a moment as she thrust the spear down, aiming for your throat...  
  
**" UNDYNE!"** Papyrus screamed in terror...  
  
...but she had already stopped.  
  
You and Undyne lay there, panting heavily as you stared each other down. Undyne's spear was stopped just inches away from your neck, and below it, was a tiny glimmering shield, prepared to deflect the blow.  
  
You were the first to crack under the tension in the atmosphere... A snort escaped you, and you began to giggle nervously.  
  
"Heh..." Undyne began to smile, chuckles bubbling their way up. When she could suppress them no more, she leaned back, dismissing her spear, and began to howl with laughter. "Gah ha ha ha ha ha!"  
  
You covered your face with one hand as you began to laugh out loud, too.  
  
Papyrus watched in utter confusion, his hand still reaching out from his unfinished attempt to intervene. Why were you two laughing??  
  
"O-Oh, god! I... *wheeze* I thought you were actually going to **kill me!** Hahaha!" You managed to spit out between bouts of laughter.  
  
"Man, you should have seen your FACE!" Undyne cackled. "And what do you do when faced with imminent death? Instead of surrendering like I **said** you could do at any time, you summon this dinky little shield to try and **deflect** it?!" Undyne tapped the little shield scarcely an inch above your throat.  
  
You both burst into laughter again, but it died down more quickly this time as you were both pretty winded.  
  
"So... uh... you mind getting off of me, now?" You asked.  
  
"Oh! Yeah." Undyne responded, getting easily to her feet before reaching down and offering to help you up. "You weren't half-bad, you know." She grinned at you.  
  
"I had a good teacher." You smiled knowingly at her as you accepted her help up. Undyne hefted you to your feet with ease, and you immediately stumbled. Your legs felt like jelly now that the adrenaline was gone, and you might have even fallen flat on your face if Papyrus hadn't stepped forward and caught you.  
  
"_____, ARE YOU ALRIGHT??" He asked, concerned.  
  
"I'll be fine." you reassured him, smiling. "Though, I'll undoubtedly be sore in the morning... I'm just not used to being so... er... active." you admitted.  
  
Undyne scoffed. "Well, you **better** get used to it quickly, punk, because starting next week you're going to be joining me and Papyrus for training!"  
  
"SHE IS??" Papyrus asked.  
  
"Of course! She's got a lot of spunk and passion, I'll give her that, but her physical stamina is ABYSMAL." Undyne emphasized. "Don't worry, though, I'll have you whipped into shape in no time!"  
  
"Oh, goody..." you replied, only half-exasperated that Undyne clearly wasn't giving you a choice in this 'invitation'.  
  
Undyne turned away from the two of you. "Anyway, now that that's over with, we should get on with the rest of the activities we had planned for the day! What do you say, Alph? What did you want to do n- Alph?!" Undyne's question turned into a cry of fear and confusion as she spotted Alphys passed out on the floor.  
  
"O-OH... I ALMOST FORGOT... DOCTOR ALPHYS KIND OF FAINTED NEAR THE END OF YOUR BATTLE. I MANAGED TO CATCH HER SO SHE DIDN'T HIT HER HEAD ON THE EQUIPMENT OR ANYTHING, BUT I KIND OF MAYBE SORT OF DROPPED HER THE REST OF THE WAY TO THE GROUND IN PANIC WHEN YOU POUNCED ON _____..." Papyrus admitted, sheepishly, blushing profusely.  
  
Undyne scratched her head nervously, clearly embarrassed. "I guess our sparring session WAS kind of intense..."  
  
"You're telling me..." you mumbled.  
  
"Come on..." Undyne carefully scooped Alphys up. "Looks like I've got my work cut out for me if I'm going to make it up to her, this time."  
  
Undyne lead the way out the door, with you, heavily supported by Papyrus, right behind.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
To put it mildly, Alphys had been upset when she finally woke up. It had been kind of fascinating and terrifying to watch Undyne cowed as Alphys angrily lectured her about safety and NOT trying to murder their guests. Alphys, though, wasn't one to hold onto anger, and it quickly dissipated once she finished venting and had been assured that, though sore, you were alright.  
  
It was that soreness, though, that landed you here.  
  
...  
  
"There..." you grunted, settling back after moving your figurine around the board.  
  
"Okay, you landed on my hotel, so that means you owe me 100 kissy cutie bucks in rent." Alphys told you.  
  
You weren't able to fully suppress your hiss of pain as you reached across the board to hand Alphys your monopoly money, or 'kissy cutie bucks' as this particular edition called them.  
  
"_____? ARE YOU OKAY?" Papyrus asked from right next to you, clearly concerned.  
  
"I'm fine, I'm- oof... fine." You tried to reassure him as you settled back uncomfortably.  
  
"W-We could do something else if you're too sore for something like this?" Alphys suggested.  
  
"Like WHAT?" Undyne asked. "Everything I thought of for today involves being a lot more active than this..."  
  
"W-Well... we could always watch some anime?" Alphys suggested.  
  
"YOU MEAN THOSE CARTOONS FOR BABIES?" Papyrus groaned, earning himself a glare from both Undyne and Alphys.  
  
Alphys looked at you curiously as you caught her eye and gave her a wink.  
  
"Please, Paps..." You begged him, looking up at him with pleading puppy-dog eyes as you wrapped your arms around him and pulled yourself closer. "I'm REALLY sore, but I don't want to ruin our visit, and being able to just lay down and watch some anime sounds REALLY nice right now..."  
  
"NYEH?!" Papyrus was blushing FURIOUSLY as he looked down at you clinging to his arm and staring up at him. He felt his soul racing, and barely resisted the urge to just lean down and kiss those adorable pouting lips, and... "N-NO!" Papyrus was met with a round of confused and stunned looks. "ER... I-I MEAN... N-NO PROBLEM?" he corrected. He hadn't meant to shout that one out loud. Whoops.  
  
"Right..." Undyne gave him a deadpan look.  
  
"I-I'll go get everything set up, then! _____, why don't you come with me and we can decide what to watch?" Alphys suggested, giving you an excited look as she realized that Operation Get-Papyrus-Hooked-On-Anime was a go.  
  
"Okay." You agreed. You turned back to Papyrus and pulled him down a bit so you could give him a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks, Paps!"  
  
"W-WOWIE..." Papyrus blushed as he watched you stiffly make your way out towards the living room.  
  
"I'll get us some more snacks." Undyne grunted, turning away from the kitchen table and beginning to rifle through the fridge.  
  
"AND I'LL... UH... C-CLEAN THIS GAME UP..." Papyrus replied sheepishly, his thoughts still lingering on the feeling of your lips on his cheek.  
  
...  
  
That had been about an hour ago. Now, the four of you were watching Spirited Away, with Alphys and Undyne curled up on the love-seat, and you sprawled across Papyrus' lap on the couch, his battle-body discarded, as he gently massaged your muscles, using his magic to help relax them, and gradually working out the tension and knots.  
  
The only thing keeping you from dozing off under his ministrations was the desire for them not to end. You tilted your head slightly as something caught your attention, and you realized Undyne was staring at you. You blushed slightly, and a lascivious smirk formed on her lips.  
  
"Heh... I guess it's a good thing I taught Papyrus that muscle relaxing technique, huh?" She commented, drawing everyone's attention.  
  
"Uh, yeah. I guess it is." You responded, not sure where she was going with this.  
  
"Though, I'm sure you could teach him a thing or two about using his magic to help you, **relax** , after a bit of **exercise**..." She waggled her eyebrows at you.  
  
You and Alphys both blushed at the not-so-subtle suggestion, and you just sputtered incoherently for a few moments in response.  
  
"NYEH?? ARE YOU SAYING THAT _____ KNOWS SOME SORT OF SECRET TRAINING TECHNIQUE??" Papyrus asked, confused.  
  
Alphys and Undyne both burst into laughter as you blushed even harder.  
  
Finally, Undyne responded. "Haha! Yep! Though neither of you are ready for THAT particular step yet! Got it, punk?!" Undyne gave you a stern look, before it melted back to a devious one. "Although I expect a FULL report when you are!"  
  
"U-Undyne!" Alphys gasped, but then devolved into a fit of embarrassed giggles.  
  
You let an amused huff at Undyne's teasing. "Someday, Undyne, but, as you said, not before we're **both** ready."  
  
Undyne's teasing look took on a softer, more appreciative tone. She could see your sincerity as you assured her that you would not push Papyrus into something he wasn't comfortable with. It didn't take a genius to see how much you liked Papyrus, and, despite her teasing, she was glad to see you taking his feelings into account.  
  
Papyrus still didn't understand what everyone was talking about, but he could see that your response had pleased Undyne, and that made him glad. She was his best friend, and he had so badly wanted her to like you, too. He had been worried when she'd challenged you to a fight, but... it seemed that everything was going to work out just fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clearly the key to befriending Undyne is to be nearly murdered by her. lol. I don't know what it is about the Undyne fight scenes in this fic, but I always find myself getting pumped as I write them! For a character I was kind of "meh" about when I first played Undertale, Undyne has really grown on me. 
> 
> And so, we're nearly back to where we were before the reset. Monsters have rights, Reader has all her friends back, and her relationship with Papyrus is progressing. 
> 
> The future for Reader and Papyrus is looking bright!


	64. The Final Piece of the Puzzle

"Alright! That was amazing!" cheered Monster Kid, his tail swishing back and forth excitedly.  
  
You casually ducked your head to the side to avoid being smacked in the face by it from his position atop Mariana's shoulders. Frisk, who you were carrying piggy-back, laughed at your attempts.  
  
"Hey, if you want, I could stop ducking and let him hit the BOTH of us, you know." You teased as you glanced back at Frisk. They just smiled at you in response, clearly aware that you weren't going to follow through with that threat.  
  
Monster Kid, meanwhile, was too focused on the next sparring match to notice.  
  
Tail in your face or not, you were quite enjoying this beautiful summer's day. The fairgrounds and streets of Monstertown were packed today as humans and monsters gathered to celebrate the first annual Monstertown Community Fair. Sure, there were a few rabble-rousers who only came to stir up trouble, but the overwhelming unity of the fairgoers and the support of the local police put an end to that before they could do more than shout a few inflammatory statements. It had been satisfying watching them turn-tail when the hatred they spewed was met by a crowd unwilling to tolerate slander against their newest friends and neighbors.  
  
Your attention returned to the sparring arena where Ebott City's newest police department, commonly known as 'The Guard' after their origins as the monster Royal Guard, showed off their magic and skills for the crowd with some friendly sparring.  
  
*BARK!* Greater Dog ducked under RG01's attack, then leaped forward, his tongue lolling out excitedly as he used his bulk to tackle his opponent to the ground. With RG01 now pinned, GD began his assault.  
  
"Agh! Pfft! You're getting drool INSIDE my helmet, dude! I give! I give!" RG01 surrendered, and GD, reluctantly, stopped licking him.  
  
The crowd cheered and laughed as the two made their way out of the arena.  
  
"And now, the match you've all been waiting for, folks!" Began the man announcing the event. "It's time to see The Guard's own training master, Papyrus, test his mettle against the district Chief of Police herself, Undyne! Let's hear it for them!"  
  
You cheered and yelled excitedly as Papyrus and Undyne made their way out into the arena.  
  
Papyrus looked around at the cheering crowd. This was just the sort of thing he'd always dreamed of. The excited shouts and adulations... The admiration and cheers... This must be what it felt like to be famous and popular. His eye sockets landed on you and his grin widened impossibly further. Not only did he have the excitement of the crowd, but you were here with him, supporting and cheering him on. He felt his soul flutter happily. What more could he ever ask for?  
  
You cheered louder when Papyrus waved at you, before turning to his opponent. Papyrus was wearing his usual battle-body outfit, and Undyne was decked out in her full-body armor.  
  
"Alright, punk! You're representing what The Guard is truly capable of, so I expect you to give 200-no! **1000-percent!** " Undyne commanded, punching her fist into her open palm with a clang as emphasis. "Do I make myself clear?!"  
  
"YES, SIR! CAPTAIN UNDYNE, SIR!" Papyrus responded immediately, snapping to full attention.  
  
"Then let's get this battle started!" Undyne declared, sliding her helmet onto her head and then summoning a spear in-hand.  
  
Papyrus summoned a bone club to wield and the two charged towards each other, meeting in the middle in a thunderous clash. Their weapons wielded defensively against each other, they each began to try and force the other back. This contest didn't last long as, when it came to brute physical strength, Undyne was clearly stronger. Within moments, the tenuous grip of Papyrus' braced feet gave way and he began sliding backwards, pushed by Undyne.  
  
However, that did not mean Papyrus was out of the fight. While he trailed behind Undyne in physical strength, he made up for it with speed and agility. When his back approached the edge of the ring, close to being cornered, Papyrus twisted his weapon, forcing Undyne's spear up and to the side as he quickly ducked and rolled past her, leaving her as the one with her back to a wall.  
  
Papyrus quickly regained his feet and swung his bone club at Undyne's exposed side. She blocked the blow with her arm, the crash of bone meeting metal echoing across the arena. Papyrus did not wait for her to counter-attack, bringing up his empty hand and, with an orange glow to his eyes, summoning his magic. Bones thrust up from the ground from all directions, lancing through the gaps in her stance, seeking to trap her without harming her. The precision of the attack was second to none. Each bone pressed tightly against her, seeking to immobilize her, and not a one caused a single point of damage.  
  
The match would have been over then and there if he'd had any other opponent.  
  
"NGAAAAAH!!" Undyne roared as she pushed with all her might against her restraints. The bones began to rattle against each other, cracking under the strain, before shattering completely.  
  
As soon as she was freed, Undyne began to summon her own attacks. Papyrus moved quickly as the ground began to glow and, moments later, spears thrust up from below.  
  
The tactic seemed too slow and easily telegraphed to catch someone as nimble as Papyrus off-guard. He easily dodged around the arena, keeping ahead of the spears.  
  
"Heh..." Papyrus heard Undyne's short laugh echo out of her helmet, and soon realized why as he bumped against the barrier serving as the edge of the arena. Although the barrier was short and was separated from the barrier marking the edge of the crowd by several feet, going beyond it would mean instantly forfeiting the match. It was one of the safety measures to keep the crowd from being accidentally struck.  
  
So, in that sense, it meant that Papyrus was cornered.  
  
The ground all around Papyrus began to glow blue. Undyne smirked underneath her helmet. Papyrus had nowhere to run.  
  
Papyrus thrust his arms downward just before the spears shot up. His magic formed quickly in his hands, connecting with the ground and then extending upwards, with Papyrus pushing off with his feet to help get himself off the ground quicker. The end result was like an acrobatic pole vault, the bone extending into the pole and Papyrus flipping head-over-heels while gripping it to escape the thrust of the spears.  
  
As the spears disappeared, Papyrus tilted himself towards Undyne, landing on his feet and using the momentum to swing the pole-like bone over his head and down onto Undyne. While the awkward nature of the weapon meant it lacked power, it caught Undyne by surprise anyway, causing her to stagger slightly.  
  
This gave Papyrus the opening he desperately needed to regain the offensive, allowing him to begin summoning waves of bones.  
  
Undyne grunted under the assault, dodging the attacks as best she could. While her armor gave a significant boost to her defense, it also limited her speed. She swiped at the bones she couldn't dodge, shattering some of them, but a few were getting through, regardless.  
  
Papyrus' assault was halted when Undyne summoned her own ranged attack. A circle of spears surrounded Papyrus, thrusting towards him. He yelped and shifted, allowing the spears to dart harmlessly past his lower spine. If he'd been a fleshy creature, they definitely would have skewered him.  
  
While the attack missed, it served its purpose in breaking his concentration, allowing Undyne to dart forward and swipe at him with her spear. The white inverted heart that was Papyrus' soul appeared, wreathed in green magic.  
  
"I gotcha now! There's no running away when your soul is green!" Undyne boasted as Papyrus struggled against the magic immobilizing him. You suspected that each of their actions was more for the benefit of the crowd, as those two already knew how green magic worked, and Papyrus knew it was pointless to struggle against it.  
  
Undyne began summoning her spears, leaving Papyrus to defend himself with one of his conjured bones. Papyrus twisted and turned as the spears began to dart towards him from all directions. The speed at which they came could only be described as 'unfair', and more than once Papyrus had to grit his teeth against the surge of magic as a spear got past his defenses.  
  
Eventually, the attack stopped, and Papyrus was released from the green magic. As soon as Papyrus dodged the follow-up spear, he was forced to raise his bone club and intercept a direct attack from Undyne.  
  
"Ha ha ha ha ha..." Undyne's laugh echoed out of her helmet as she pressed her spear hard against Papyrus' club, pushing him down and backwards. "Is that all you've got, punk? I'm disappointed..."  
  
"NYEH..." Papyrus grunted. "CLEARLY, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE..." Papyrus braced himself and used his whole body to twist their clashing weapons, throwing Undyne off-balance and causing her to stumble, "... **GRAVITY** OF THE SITUATION!" Before Undyne could recover, her soul was exposed and turned blue, causing her to face-plant into the ground.  
  
"Grr..." Undyne growled as she began to push herself back to her feet, fighting the strain of Papyrus' gravity magic.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH!" Before Undyne could fully regain her feet, Papyrus threw his hand into the air, sending Undyne up with it, and then brought his hand back down quickly, slamming Undyne into the ground with enough force for her to lose her focus on her spear, dispelling it, and to knock her helmet off.  
  
A brief stab of worry lanced through Papyrus as he wondered if he'd been too rough. He normally didn't attack Undyne so forcefully, but she had wanted him to give 1000-percent for this match! His worry, though, was replaced with nervous anxiety when Undyne locked eyes with him, the expression on her face one that he knew very, very well. It didn't happen often, but every once in a while when their sparring got a little too out-of-control, rather than worn-out, Undyne would become even more amped-up.  
  
The change in Undyne's eye color was a dead-giveaway that they had reached that point. Normally, her eye was yellow with a dark pupil, but when she got like this her eye turned black as pitch with a glowing yellow slit within it. Papyrus also vaguely noted a red haze creeping in at the edges of her soul.  
  
Papyrus knew he was in trouble now.  
  
Despite the continued presence of the blue magic on her soul, Undyne shot to her feet like it was nothing. Papyrus began to launch his bone attacks at her, but what she didn't dodge was shattered by her newly re-conjured spear. Soon, Undyne was right up close to Papyrus and it was all he could do to dodge and parry her attacks. He couldn't even take the risk of trying to summon a counter-attack at this range, because his blue magic slowing her down was the only thing keeping her from overwhelming him right now, and if she got in one good strike, he'd lose that. His prior speed advantage was out the window as Undyne moved fluidly through her attacks as easily as she could move through the water.  
  
You watched, wide-eyed and slack-jawed as Papyrus desperately back-pedaled around the battlefield while trying to fend off Undyne's relentless assault. You had never seen Undyne like THIS, and the tint of red in her soul didn't escape your attention, either.  
  
"Is that... Determination??" You whispered to yourself.  
  
"It is..." came Frisk's whispered reply from your back, both of you too focused on the battle to use sign language. "Undyne the Undying... I've only seen her like this when Chara..." Frisk murmured next to your ear so quietly you barely heard it, but you understood the implications completely. You'd thought you had seen Undyne in top-form before, but... this... this was what Undyne was truly like when she stopped holding back...  
  
Papyrus was sweating profusely now. He needed to get away, and that meant he needed an opening. He didn't like to use it, and CERTAINLY not against a FRIEND, but he KNEW how Undyne got when she was like this, and he was quickly running out of options.  
  
Something appeared in the peripheral of Undyne's vision. Something white, and jagged, and glowing orange. She tilted her head to the side slightly and was met with the sight of a floating beast-like skull, its eyes glowing orange and an orb of magic forming inside its ragged jaws. She turned her head more fully just as the jaws suddenly widened and the orb erupted from it in a focused beam...  
  
"..." Undyne stood there glancing between the mild laser-burn on her armor and the tiny, 6-inch skull. "What... the fuck..." she deadpanned.  
  
It hadn't done any damage, but the tiny blaster had served its purpose PERFECTLY. So distracted was she by the absurdity of the 'attack', Undyne hadn't even noticed that Papyrus had used the opportunity to create some distance between them.  
  
Undyne's head whipped around as she remembered her opponent and her eye locked back onto Papyrus. He hadn't surrendered yet. The match was still going... and she WASN'T going to LOSE.  
  
Papyrus thrust his arms out and focused as hard as he could, trying to use his blue magic to keep Undyne away... But, slowly, she trudged her way against the horizontal flow of gravity towards him. There would be no holding her back. She was too Determined. So long as she had some way to pull herself towards him, there'd be no stopping her from reaching Papyrus.  
  
_"...THAT'S IT!"_ Papyrus' eyes widened in realization as Undyne drew close. With barely any time to spare, Papyrus threw his hand upwards, shifting the flow of gravity again. Undyne had nothing to hold onto as she was flung into the air.  
  
She was completely at Papyrus' mercy. He would have to end this match quickly and decisively. His eyes focused on her as he quickly calculated just how much damage he would do with his attack. He would have to be careful to avoid causing permanent injury. Thankfully, Papyrus' control of magic was so precise he could stop on a single hit-point.  
  
His mental calculations made, Papyrus brought his arm down forcefully.  
  
...  
  
He then realized his mistake.  
  
...  
  
Just as the gravity shifted back downward, Undyne grinned dangerously. She summoned a powerful spear in her hands and held tight as she used the extra momentum of Papyrus' gravity magic to empower her attack.  
  
Papyrus dove out of the way as Undyne landed, her spear embedding in the ground and sending a shockwave outwards from the impact.  
  
Papyrus tumbled and covered his head as dirt and debris was kicked into the air. The crowd around the arena coughed and tried to wipe away the lingering dust from their clothes and eyes.  
  
As the dirt began to settle, Papyrus looked up to see a sweaty, but thankfully normal, Undyne grinning down at him.  
  
"Looks like I win!" She announced.  
  
"NYEH???" Papyrus blinked at her, then realize that, in the process of getting away from her attack, he had crashed through one of the barriers making up the edge of the arena. Thus, he automatically forfeited the match. "LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE RIGHT!" Papyrus smiled sheepishly up at her.  
  
Undyne chuckled and offered him a hand, helping him back up. "It was a good match, Paps! You've really improved!"  
  
Papyrus blushed as he preened himself over the compliment. "THANKS, UNDYNE! JUST, UH... LET'S NEVER DO THAT AGAIN. OKAY?"  
  
Undyne laughed at that. "Hah, yeah. Guess I got a bit too excited there!"  
  
"Papyrus!!"  
  
Papyrus turned towards the sound of his name just as you skidded to a halt in front of him. Frisk, Mariana, and Monster Kid were close behind.  
  
"Are you alright??" You asked as you immediately began fussing over him.  
  
"NYEH HEH... THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS PERFECTLY FINE!" he reassured you.  
  
"U-Undyne- Oof!" Alphys called out as she tripped over the barrier on her way into the arena as well. Sans was with her, and didn't bother disguising his Shortcut as he just skipped past the obstacle.  
  
"Shit! You alright, babe?" Undyne asked, rushing to help Alphys to her feet.  
  
Sans, moving quicker than usual, bee-lined for Papyrus, a concerned look on his face. "you alright, paps?"  
  
"NYEH... I'M FINE, SANS." Papyrus assured him, as well. "IT WAS NOTHING THE GREAT PAPYRUS CAN'T HANDLE!" he puffed out his chest as he boasted.  
  
"hah... of course." Sans gave him a wan smile.  
  
"Yeah! I don't know why you're all fussing over him so much!" Monster Kid chimed in. "The Great Papyrus is, er... great! Even if he did lose!"  
  
"Worrying is just something people do when they care about someone." Mariana told him, ruffling the frill on the top of his head.  
  
"Yeah, I guess I get that..." Monster Kid turned to Frisk. "Did you see it, Frisk?! They were SO cool! Undyne was all, WHAM and POW! And then Papyrus was like, THWACK and CLANG! And then Undyne used her green magic and it was all ZAP ZAP ZAP! But no way was that going to be enough to beat Papyrus, and-" Monster Kid chattered on to Frisk, his body moving in an attempt to imitate the fight he was describing. Soon, their shared excitement evolved into a game of pretend-fighting, and the two ran around the arena laughing.  
  
"Well, I'm just glad you're both okay." You told Papyrus. "Things got a little crazy there..."  
  
"YES... THINGS DID GET A LITTLE MORE INTENSE THAN I ANTICIPATED..." Papyrus smiled sheepishly at you as he scratched the back of his skull. "BUT THE POINT IS, EVERYTHING TURNED OUT WELL, AND WE PUT ON QUITE A SHOW!" Papyrus gestured towards the crowd, many of whom were still here cheering and chattering excitedly.  
  
"i can't deny that." Sans agreed. "personally, my favorite part was that fantastic pun you gave before using your blue magic. i **newton** you'd never **let me down**." Sans' grin grew wide.  
  
"UGH... I'VE CLEARLY BEEN SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME WITH YOU. YOUR PUNNING SEEMS TO BE INFECTIOUS!" Papyrus groaned in distress.  
  
"Well, if you had to make a pun, I'd say your timing was perfect." You soothed him, giving him a peck on the cheek.  
  
Papyrus blushed bashfully, his big, goofy grin returning. "NYEH HEH HEH..."  
  
Undyne, having seen to Alphys and finished addressing the crowd while you guys talked, walked back over with Alphys at her side. "Hey, you nerds! Now that our sparring match is over, me and Alph were going to get some lunch! You want to come with us?"  
  
"Sure!" Mariana perked up.  
  
"THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA. NOTHING LIKE A BIT OF SPARRING TO WORK UP AN APPETTITE!" Papyrus agreed.  
  
"Of course." You nodded.  
  
"i suppose i could take a break from my hotdog stand." Sans shrugged lazily.  
  
"But, Sans? Didn't you just take a break to watch Papyrus and Undyne's fight?" Mariana asked him.  
  
"nah. that was my break from the balloon stand." Sans grinned cheekily at her.  
  
"Balloon stand? Wait... You're running two stands? How??" Mariana asked in confusion.  
  
"three, actually." Sans corrected her. "hot dogs, balloons, and dunking booth. it's great. means i get three times the breaks."  
  
Mariana's jaw flapped open and shut a few times in flabbergasted confusion, but no sound came out.  
  
Sans just shot her a mischievous wink before turning and heading in the opposite direction of the food stalls. "i'll be up ahead when you guys are ready to join me."  
  
"But that's not..." Mariana trailed off as she watched Sans walk away.  
  
Undyne clapped a hand on her shoulder, giving her a sympathetic look. "Best not to ask..." She then turned to Papyrus. "Come on, let's get cleaned up quickly so we can go get some grub!"  
  
Papyrus nodded in agreement. "I COULD USE A BIT OF FRESHENING UP. I THINK THERE'S DIRT IN MY ARMOR."  
  
"T-Then it's settled. W-We'll go catch up with Sans and find us a table w-while you two get cleaned up." Alphys spoke up.  
  
"WE'LL MEET YOU THERE, THEN!" Papyrus smiled, walking with Undyne towards a few nearby tents being used as dressing rooms.  
  
"Frisk, MK! Come on! It's time to go get some lunch!" You called out to the two playing children.  
  
They quickly stopped their game and ran over to your side.  
  
"Lunch? Oh, man! I'm SO hungry!" Monster Kid declared.  
  
'Can we get something from Grillby?' Frisk asked.  
  
"Sure thing." You agreed.  
  
"Oh! Oh! And maybe we can get some nice cream, too?" Monster Kid hopped up and down excitedly.  
  
"T-That sounds good! I heard that there's some n-new flavors, including seaweed nice cream!" Alphys perked up.  
  
"Haha, sure. But only AFTER lunch, got it?" You gave the two kids your best stern mom glare.  
  
"Yes, ma'am!" Monster Kid said and Frisk signed.  
  
"Alright, then! Let's go!" Mariana turned and lead the way.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
Lunch was, expectedly, a raucous affair, filled with puns, bizarre competitions, and general shenanigans.  
  
"Man! I already knew Undyne was cool, but I never would have guessed she could fit a whole chicken in her mouth!" Monster Kid chirped, trying not to wag his tail which he was currently using to hold his nice cream.  
  
'It was scary when she nearly choked on it, though.' Frisk replied, their nice cream melting slightly onto their hand.  
  
"Yeah. Good thing Mariana knows that hind-lick maneuver, thing." Monster Kid took another lick of his nice cream.  
  
There were several choked sounds as the various adults around them heard MK misspeak.  
  
Mariana had her face covered in mortification. "It's HEIMLICH maneuver..." she muttered.  
  
You and Undyne couldn't help but laugh at her embarrassment.  
  
"better watch out, alph. looks like you've got some competition." Sans elbowed a blushing Alphys while snickering.  
  
"S-Shut up, Sans!" Mariana grouched at him, glaring.  
  
"sorry. i know it's not easy being the **butt** of my jokes." he grinned back cheekily.  
  
"SANS! STOP TORTURING THE POOR HUMAN WITH YOUR TERRIBLE PUNS!" Papyrus admonished him.  
  
"Yeah, don't be such an ass." Mariana grumbled.  
  
"alright, alright. I know when i'm **licked**." Sans winked.  
  
Mariana face-palmed. "Stupid punny skeletons..." But she couldn't stay mad over something so silly and soon joined in the laughter.  
  
'So, what are we going to do next? Watch the puppet theater? Snail racing?' Frisk asked.  
  
"well, i've got to get back to my booths." Sans shrugged.  
  
"I still don't understand how someone so lazy could possibly be running three booths." Mariana gave Sans a hard stare. "So, I'm going to follow you and find out."  
  
Sans gave her a lazy grin. "sure. it's no skin off my bones." He then turned and lead the way, with Mariana following.  
  
Alphys turned towards Frisk and MK after a whispered conversation with Undyne. "S-So, um... U-Undyne and I were wondering i-if you two would like to h-hang out with us for a bit?"  
  
"NYEH? IF YOU WANTED TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH US, YOU COULD HAVE JUST ASKED DIRECTLY."  
  
"Nah, Paps. That's not what we mean." Undyne shook her head. "We were just going to take the twerps with us so you and _____ could have some... alone time." she waggled her brows at him.  
  
Papyrus blushed slightly, and you gave her a slightly exasperated, but appreciative grin.  
  
"I don't know..." MK spoke up. "We told Frisk's mom that we'd be with Papyrus and _____..."  
  
'Mom won't mind so long as I text her and let her know!' Frisk signed.  
  
"Well, okay. So long as we're not going to get in trouble!" MK perked up.  
  
"It's settled, then!" Undyne beamed. "You two go off and have a fun time, and we'll keep an eye on these little punks!"  
  
Alphys nodded enthusiastically in agreement.  
  
"WELL, IF IT'S REALLY ALRIGHT..." Papyrus hesitated slightly.  
  
That hesitation melted away, though, when you wrapped your arm around his.  
  
"Come on, Paps! Let's go!" You smiled up at him, tugging him away.  
  
Papyrus smiled back and followed.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"Are you thirsty, too, little flower? Here, have some water. You must look your best for the fair tomorrow!" whispered the echo flower next to you.  
  
It was just one of the many types of flowers occupying Asgore's private garden at the embassy. While the garden was normally off-limits, for today only it was open to the general public.  
  
The array of flowers, shrubberies, and various plants was astounding. There were specimens from all over the world, with magic being used to create the different biomes needed for each plant to thrive. It even included a section exclusively for plants from the underground, the only such garden on the surface.  
  
"_____! COME HERE! YOU HAVE TO SEE!" Papyrus waved you over towards the next area eagerly.  
  
You followed him through the archway and took a look around. You were now in an area of the garden where shrubs and topiaries were kept, each one carefully sculpted into various shapes. Before you stood one that was remarkably familiar.  
  
"Wow..." you murmured.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH! IMPRESSSIVE, ISN'T IT? I BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW THE KING HAD A SHRUB SCULPTED INTO THE SHAPE OF MY SMILE?" Papyrus boasted, his chest puffed out proudly.  
  
You chuckled. "No, actually. I didn't realize. That must be quite an honor!"  
  
"IT'S ONLY NATURAL. WITH THESE FEATURES, I AM PRACTICALLY A WORK OF ART ALREADY!"  
  
You snickered a bit as Papyrus stroked his own ego. "No doubt. I might be jealous over this if it wasn't for the fact that I get the original Papyrus."  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH..." Papyrus blushed at the compliment. "AND I AM GLAD I HAVE THE ORIGINAL _____, TOO."  
  
"Aw..." You cooed and gave him a quick kiss, causing him to blush further.  
  
Papyrus gently intertwined his fingers with your own and lead you further into the garden.  
  
The two of you passed by other people as you enjoyed the ambiance. Plenty of those here were other couples out for a romantic stroll. Guards were posted to ensure the visitors didn't try to pick the flowers or otherwise harm the garden, but there were also vendor stalls throughout it selling pre-cut flowers, bouquets, and other souvenirs.  
  
The two of you made your way over to a fountain, sitting down on a nearby bench and just enjoying the smell of the flowers, the sound of flowing water, and the feel of the sun and wind on this beautiful day.  
  
"Hah. I knew Asgore loved flowers, but I didn't realize his garden was this big." you commented.  
  
"I THINK HE'S ACTUALLY EXPANDED IT A LOT OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS. WITH THE BIGGEST HURDLE FOR MONSTER RIGHTS IN THE PAST, HE'S HAD A LOT MORE TIME TO FOCUS ON IT. HE EVEN MADE AN EXTRA-PRIVATE SECTION FOR FRISK AND FLOWEY TO PLAY IN."  
  
"Speaking of which, I haven't seen Flowey today. Maybe that's where they are?"  
  
Papyrus shook his head. "NO. WHEN I PICKED FRISK UP, THEY TOLD ME THAT FLOWEY WAS VISITING HIS FRIEND IN THE UNDERGROUND."  
  
"Oh." You responded. So, Flowey was visiting Chara again. That made sense. On one of their occasional trips to the surface, Azzy and Sarah had told you that Flowey was Chara's most frequent visitor.  
  
"WE SHOULD GO DOWN THERE AND SEE THEM, TOO." Papyrus commented, causing you to look up at him. "IT MUST GET VERY LONELY DOWN THERE THESE DAYS, AND NO ONE DESERVES TO BE ALONE."  
  
"Yeah. It's been a little while, hasn't it?" You responded.  
  
Chara had their share of regular visitors. Azzy and Sarah acted as their guard most of the time, and Flowey would tunnel his way down there a few times a week. Then there was Frisk, Toriel, and Asgore, who would visit regularly as well.  
  
You, though, visited infrequently at best. A part of you still held on to that fear and anger at what they'd done. That part told you that they were dangerous and couldn't be trusted. For a while, your visits had been almost strictly about checking the integrity of the barrier containing them.  
  
However, the tone of your visits had changed since Papyrus started joining you. Papyrus knew full-well what Chara had done now, but rather than judge them, he offered them sympathy. Where you had been wary of a genocidal maniac, he saw a lonely, hurting child who had cried out for attention in the only way they knew how.  
  
Papyrus' favorite thing to do was to bring books and read to them, often roping you in to help him voice the various characters. And so, your visits had grown warmer, more accepting, as you began to see them through Papyrus' eyes.  
  
"Did you want to stop by the kids' section of the library tomorrow and pick out a new book to bring?" You asked.  
  
Papyrus beamed at you. "YES! I THINK THERE'S A NEW FLUFFY BUNNY BOOK OUT! I HOPE THEY HAVE IT!"  
  
You smiled softly at Papyrus. "Me, too."  
  
The two of you remained quiet for some time, just enjoying the beautiful environment and each other's company.  
  
Eventually, you yawned and stretched. "We should probably get going before I get TOO comfortable."  
  
"YOU'RE RIGHT. AS CUTE AS YOU ARE WHEN YOU'RE SLEEPY, THERE'S STILL MUCH OF THE FAIR TO BE EXPERIENCED!"  
  
You blushed at Papyrus' admission, smiling happily. Moments later, he seemed to realize what he'd said, too, and blushed as well, rubbing the back of his skull and 'nyeh'ing sheepishly.  
  
You gave Papyrus another soft kiss before standing and gently pulling him to his feet.  
  
"Well, come on, then! Let's go see what else the fair has to offer!"  
  
Once again, hand intertwined with your own, Papyrus found himself happily following your lead.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"NYEH? WHAT'S GOING ON?" Papyrus asked as the two of you approached a particularly large crowd that seemed to be lined up for... something.  
  
"There's a sign over here... 'Dunk Tank Charity Drive: Help support Ebott City schools by playing the Dunk Tank game. Each throw costs $2, and the Ebott City Council will donate an additional $10 for every successful dunk.'" You read. "Hey, didn't Sans say he was running the Dunking Booth?"  
  
"HE DID. I'LL ADMIT, THOUGH, I'M A BIT SURPRISED BY THE SIZE OF THE CROWD. I CLEARLY UNDERESTIMATED THE GENEROSITY OF THE PEOPLE OF EBOTT CITY!"  
  
"Either that, or he managed to rope in a REALLY good heckler." You chuckled.  
  
"HECKLER?" Papyrus asked.  
  
"Yeah. A lot of Dunk Tank games will employ someone to heckle the crowd passing by in an attempt to lure them into trying to dunk him." You explained.  
  
"NYEH? THAT'S NOT VERY NICE."  
  
"That's the point. If the person sitting in the booth was nice to everyone, you wouldn't WANT to dunk them. There's a sense of satisfaction in the heckler's tirade being cut-off as they're harmlessly plunged into the water. It's a lot like when Sans riled you up last week with all those puns and it devolved into a pillow fight: you know he wasn't trying to actually be mean, but it was satisfying to bop him harmlessly with a pillow anyway, right?"  
  
"I SEE YOUR POINT. I THINK I UNDERSTAND, NOW." Papyrus nodded.  
  
"Come on! Let's go up front and talk to Sans. I'm kind of curious how this fundraiser is doing so far, and I want to know who he's got in the booth." You gestured towards the way around the crowd.  
  
"I HOPE IT'S NOT THAT MARIANA HUMAN YOU WORK WITH. SHE WENT OFF WITH HIM EARLIER, BUT SHE SEEMS TOO NICE TO DUNK..."  
  
You couldn't stop the bark of laughter from escaping you. "Hah! You've never seen her riled up after she's had a few drinks!"  
  
"REALLY??" Papyrus looked at you curiously, but you just waved it off.  
  
"Haha, maybe I'll tell you another time. Come on, let's go see Sans."  
  
The two of you made your way around the crowd and towards the booth. Sans was slouched in a chair at a table next to the booth, and Mariana was with him.  
  
"Hey, _____! Papyrus!" Mariana waved as you approached.  
  
"Hey, guys! What's up?" You asked.  
  
Sans shrugged, his lazy smile in place. "not much. just working."  
  
"NOT VERY HARD, I SEE." Papyrus commented as Mariana accepted the money for the next person playing the game. "LEAVE IT TO YOU TO FIND CHARITY WORK WHERE YOU JUST HAVE TO SIT THERE."  
  
Sans grinned. "you know me, bro. but, you can't argue with the results." he gestured towards the crowd waiting their turn.  
  
"No doubt. How much money have you guys raised so far?" You asked.  
  
"Almost $4,000. And there's been... let's see... 843 successful dunks, so that's another $8,430 from the council..."  
  
"Wow! That's pretty impressive for a single fair booth!" You exclaimed.  
  
"hehe... it helps having someone everyone wants to dunk in the booth." Sans chuckled.  
  
"Speaking of which, who IS in the booth?" You craned your neck to look, but the booth was empty for the moment. "Uh... there's no one there."  
  
"he's just having a quick snack break. he'll be climbing back in in a moment." Sans shrugged.  
  
Sure enough, a minute later someone on the other side of the booth climbed up the ladder and settled on the platform.  
  
"UGH..." Papyrus grunted in annoyance, much to your surprise.  
  
Once they'd settled comfortably onto the platform, you got your first good look at the heckler. He(?) was a weird, UFO shaped monster with gangly limbs and skin that could only be described as unpleasantly moist and sticky looking. He seemed to have orange cheeto dust smeared across his face and hands, a situation which only worsened when he sniffed loudly and wiped his arm across his nose.  
  
"Ugh. You're next? What a waste of time." the monster commented as his eyes drifted down to look at the person waiting for the okay to begin their throws.  
  
Sans nodded the okay to the person and they began chucking the baseballs at the target. The monster huffed and sighed in annoyance at each miss.  
  
"Told you it was a waste of time. You should get glasses. Maybe you'd do better with four eyes, though I doubt it." the monster looked bored and pulled out a cell phone from... somewhere.  
  
"I don't think I've met this monster before. He's got quite the talent for heckling, though." You turned to look at Papyrus, who still looked agitated.  
  
Papyrus cleared his throat, trying to tone-down his hostility. "THAT IS JERRY, AND HE'S NOT REALLY HECKLING. IT'S JUST THE WAY HE IS."  
  
"Huh??" You were confused.  
  
"being annoying is practically his super-power." Sans explained. "a super-power which can never be turned off..."  
  
"Ugh. Is that Papyrus? Why are you always so stupidly loud?" grouched Jerry.  
  
"HELLO, JERRY. IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU HELPING WITH THE CHARITY FUNDRAISER." Papyrus replied pleasantly, though the smile he gave was noticeably strained and fake.  
  
Jerry huffed. "I'm just here because Sans offered me free cheetos if I agreed. Honestly, I'm not sure it's worth having to put up with his dumb jokes, though." Jerry sniffed, then immediately sneezed without covering his nose as he inhaled cheeto dust, and then wiped his nose with his bare arm again. "I mean, really? It's like he doesn't even know what comedy is, but he can't stop telling dumb jokes and making himself look like an idiot."  
  
Papyrus stiffened at the comment. It was one thing for HIM to complain about his brother's constant puns, after all, they were brothers and he loved Sans regardless, but it was another thing entirely to have someone else say something like that. And Jerry's comments weren't just insulting Sans' jokes, but Sans himself.  
  
You glowered darkly at the slimy monster as Papyrus took a deep breath to calm himself. Sans, for his part, seemed mostly unperturbed by Jerry's comments, though there was an edge of tension in his bones that only those close to him could pick up on.  
  
"COME ON, _____. WE SHOULD PROBABLY GO. WE'LL SEE YOU LATER, SANS." Papyrus placed his hand on your back and began to guide you away from the dunk booth.  
  
The two of you barely made it two steps away when Jerry spoke again.  
  
"Wait... Is that the human you're dating? Ew... I mean, if you're going to date a human the least you could do is date a PRETTY one."  
  
You caught a flicker of orange magic in your peripheral and your heart began to race. You turned, reaching out to Papyrus in an attempt to stop him before he did something he'd regret.  
  
You were too late, though. Before you could stop him, he'd thrown out his arm, eyes glowing with magic, and launched his bone attack. The bone zipped through the air straight at its target...  
  
...and with a clang, the bone struck the round target, dunking Jerry into the tank. The monster flailed a bit before floating to the surface with half-sputtered complaints and insults.  
  
"nice shot, bro." Sans grinned at him.  
  
"NYEH... NATURALLY." Papyrus replied, slightly assuaged as he watched Jerry clamber back up the ladder.  
  
"You know, this game costs $2 a throw." Mariana pointed out.  
  
"OH! YES. OF COURSE." Papyrus walked back over and handed Mariana some money.  
  
"Hm? Wait a second, Papyrus. There's $4 here. You accidentally gave me too much." Mariana held out her hand with the extra $2.  
  
Papyrus lifted his hand and, with another flicker of orange magic, hit the target with another bone attack, sending Jerry back into the now murky orange waters just as he was settling back on the board.  
  
"NO I DIDN'T."  
  
Sans burst into laughter and Papyrus couldn't help but smirk slightly.  
  
Now done, Papyrus turned back to you and the two of you walked away without any further heckling.  
  
"YOU KNOW, YOU'RE RIGHT. THAT WAS CATHARTIC." Papyrus told you, his arm around your shoulders.  
  
"Haha! Told you!" You chuckled.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"Ahem. Good evening, monsters and humans! I thank you all for coming out to celebrate with us today! I am pleased to say that today's fair has been a rousing success, and has been the ideal showing of human and monster cooperation." Asgore's deep baritone rumbled from the stage for the closing ceremonies. "Not so long ago, I would have considered such an event to be a hopeless pipedream, yet here we all are standing as equals and friends. We have many to thank for the peace we know today: Ambassador Frisk, who showed my people that, despite our differences, humans and monsters can live as friends and neighbors. Toriel, whose guidance and wisdom we could not do without. Mettaton who has captured the hearts of humans and monsters alike. And _____, who has shown us that one should never allow the mistakes of the past to stop us from striving for a better future. These people and many, many more are the ones responsible for the love and acceptance we know today. A love and acceptance that has brought us all together as friends, neighbors, and lovers." Asgore nodded his head towards one section of the crowd where Azzy and Sarah were standing. Once again, they were the first human/monster couple to be married under the new laws. "I hope that you all will take away with you a little bit of the peace and joy you found here today, and help that spread throughout the world, so that, one day, monsters and humans of all walks of life may live together in harmony! Thank you, and have a safe trip home!"  
  
The crowd clapped and began to disperse. Just as had happened at the first fair in the previous timeline, Papyrus had left in the middle of Asgore's speech to assist Alphys in dismantling a booth. That had been the night your whole world had been turned on its head. The night you had panicked, and Asgore had recognized you as the barrier mage. It was strange to think of that night. If not for that series of events, would you have realized who you actually were? Would you have gained the knowledge and strength to move past everything that happened so long ago? To move forward and make amends? Perhaps. There was always the possibility that you would have met Asgore at some other point. But would he have had the opportunity to see your soul and recognize you? Perhaps not. It was impossible to know for sure. Yet, despite the fact that that night had, technically, never happened, it was still instrumental in molding who you were today.  
  
There was a tugging on your hand and you looked down to see Frisk looking up at you, pointing towards the stage, and Asgore.  
  
You chuckled. "Alright, Frisk. Let's go see him."  
  
You let Frisk drag you through the remaining crowd. Once the two of you were through, they let go and broke into a run towards Asgore, thumping into him and wrapping their arms around him in a hug. You followed casually behind.  
  
"What is- oh! Frisk! I was not expecting you so suddenly!" Asgore rumbled, turning around and lifting the child into his arms. He looked up at you as you approached. "And, _____! It is good to see you! Are you the one who has been keeping an eye on Frisk, today?"  
  
"Hey, Asgore. Yep. Frisk's been with me and Papyrus for most of the day." You greeted him as you approached.  
  
'Except for when Undyne asked me to hang out with her so _____ and Papyrus could go off and kiss!' Frisk signed, a smug look on their face.  
  
"You cheeky little devil!" you gasped dramatically, but you couldn't hold back your laughter.  
  
Asgore, too, chuckled in amusement. "Not much escapes Frisk." he observed. "Speaking of which, where is young Papyrus?"  
  
"He's helping Alphys with one of the booths right now. We were just waiting for him to return so we could find Tori and drop Frisk off, then we were going to help with the clean-up." you explained.  
  
'That's not fair! I want to help, too!' Frisk pouted.  
  
Asgore smiled down at them. "That is very charitable of you. While I am afraid that disassembling the booths might be a bit much, perhaps we could find some other way for you to help, hm?"  
  
"I've got the perfect job for a keen-eyed little whipper-snapper like you!" a familiar voice suddenly piped up.  
  
You all looked over to see Gerson meandering his way towards your small group, some sort of stick in-one hand, and a bag in the other.  
  
Frisk indicated for Asgore to set them down, then addressed Gerson eagerly. 'You know something I can do?' they signed.  
  
"You bet your butt, kid." Gerson smiled at them, and then held up the stick he had.  
  
On the end of the stick was a tack, which was pierced through some trash.  
  
Frisk frowned, clearly unimpressed. 'You want me to pick up garbage?'  
  
"What? No!" Gerson snapped. "I need you to help me protect all the creatures that call this place home!"  
  
Frisk studied Gerson curiously while you and Asgore looked on in confusion.  
  
'How?' Frisk asked.  
  
"By rounding up the enemy! You ever seen a Moldsmal accidentally absorb one of these?" Gerson pulled out a crushed styrofoam plate. "Normally those buggers can eat just about anything, but styrofoam... whew! You do NOT want to be around when this inevitably comes back out! Especially when it's in your shop..." He muttered the last part. "Or how about a cat with its head stuck in a plastic cup? Well, that one's admittedly pretty funny to watch, but the point is that leaving this stuff lying around is harmful! It's our duty, no our HONOR to ensure that we leave this place as clean as we can! Now, normally, I'd just do it all myself, but these old eyes aren't what they used to be, so I could use a sharp-eyed little sprite like you to help me make sure we've got it all."  
  
You snorted quietly. There was nothing wrong with Gerson's eyesight. He had called you out on messing up one of the lantern maze puzzles in the Puzzle Gauntlet during set-up last night, and that room had been so dark you had accidentally walked into a wall!  
  
Frisk, however, seemed much more interested in garbage clean-up duty now. 'Really?'  
  
"Darn, tootin! Now, why don't you come with me and I'll show you the proper way to wield a spear like this." Gerson gestured with the stick.  
  
'It's just a stick with a tack on the end.' Frisk pointed out.  
  
"Yeah, and the last time some whipper-snapper didn't take my warnings about training seriously, she wound up poking her fishy eye out!" Gerson pointed towards his left eye for emphasis.  
  
You stared at him curiously. Was that true? To be honest, you weren't sure how Undyne had lost her eye, although a part of you could see a young, overly-ambitious Undyne accidentally doing it to herself.  
  
True or not, it was enough warning to convince Frisk. 'I understand. I'll be careful.'  
  
"Good. Then, with your leave, we'll go get to work." Gerson addressed Asgore and yourself.  
  
"Well, we were suppose to bring them back to Tori, but I suppose she wouldn't mind so long as they don't go running off on their own..." You gave Frisk a stern look for emphasis.  
  
"I agree." Asgore nodded. "Ah, but before you go, Gerson, are you free to stop by for tea next weekend?"  
  
"Well, I was expecting some new junk for the shop to come in at the end of the week, but I think I could make time to spend with an old friend." Gerson smiled.  
  
"And what about you, Papyrus, and Sans? Are you free?" Asgore asked you.  
  
"I'm not sure if either of them have plans, but I'd love to come by for tea." You smiled at him.  
  
"Gwa ha ha! It'll be like old times then, eh?" Gerson grinned.  
  
"Indeed! I look forward to it!" Asgore smiled brightly. "I suppose we should all get back to work, though, or we might be here all night!"  
  
And so, you each split off: Frisk with Gerson, Asgore to attend his own duties, and you to find Papyrus.  
  
\------------------------------  
  
"Man, that was a lot of work." you huffed as you plopped down on the grass.  
  
"DON'T LET UNDYNE HEAR YOU SAY THAT, OR SHE'LL REDOUBLE YOUR TRAINING NEXT WEEK!" Papyrus smiled as he sat down next to you, intertwining his fingers with your own.  
  
"Ha ha ha! Oh man, I'm not sure I'd survive that!" You laughed, laying on your back and looking up at the stars.  
  
"NYEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus laughed, too, as he joined you.  
  
For a while, the two of you just laid there in the park looking up at the cloudless, starry sky. It was kind of late but, after the clean-up had been finished, Papyrus had asked you to come star-gazing with him, and who were you to refuse?  
  
It was serene and quiet. Most of the residents of Monstertown, even those who usually enjoyed the later hours, had turned-in by now, tuckered out by the festivities.  
  
You, too, were feeling the wear of the day tugging at you, your eyes half-lidded as you struggled to stay awake. Laying here, Papyrus at your side, hand in yours, thumb gently tracing along the back of your hand as you both gazed quietly at the stars... It made you feel utterly relaxed and at peace. It was such a perfect moment.  
  
You weren't sure how long the two of you laid there. What you DID know, was that you must have dozed off, because the next thing you knew, you were cuddled against Papyrus' side with his arm wrapped around you. Your slight shifting must have clued him in to your reawakening.  
  
"Are you awake?" Papyrus asked, his voice notably quieter than normal, likely to avoid waking you if you were just shifting in your sleep.  
  
"Hmm..." You hummed in affirmation, snuggling closer to him and sleepily glancing up into his eyes.  
  
"Nyeh... Maybe it was a bad idea to go stargazing after such a long day..." Papyrus murmured.  
  
"Uh uh..." You shook your head. "Time spent with you is never a bad idea."  
  
You smiled as he became flustered at the comment. That smile was soon joined by the fluttering of your heart as he leaned down to kiss you. The kiss was gentle and languid, an expression of soft affection.  
  
You inhaled deeply and let out a shuddering sigh when the two of you finally parted. His hand cupped your face, thumb stroking your cheek and you opened your eyes to see him gazing intently at you. There was something about his expression that pulled you away from the lure of sleep and instead to full attention. It wasn't the usual blushing, goofy grin you were used to. It was serious, and deep and contemplative... You didn't dare look away.  
  
After a few long moments, you could stand the silent staring no more. "Papyrus?" You spoke unsurely.  
  
He blinked, broken from his trance. He seemed mildly startled to realize that he'd been staring at you, but the seriousness of his expression remained. "I..." He started, then stopped.  
  
You waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts.  
  
"I was just thinking..." He paused, considering his words carefully. "When I first saw you, I felt... weird. I didn't really understand what I was feeling, but it made me so nervous and anxious. And that made me so uncertain, and I did and said a number of embarrassing things..." He paused again. "And, though we started dating, and I feel comfortable and happy with you, that weird feeling has never gone away... In fact, it seems to have grown stronger..." he took a deep, calming breath. "When I look at you at times like this, I feel like my non-existent stomach is doing flips, my bones get twitchy, and I become thankful that I don't need to breath because it's like you've stolen my breath away..." he took another deliberate, soothing breath. "It's... it's scary and exciting and... and I don't want the feeling to stop even though it feels like it could tear me apart..." His brow scrunched up as he tried to figure out how to describe what he was feeling. "Somehow it's like... It's like my soul is a puzzle, and... and I didn't even realize that the puzzle was incomplete until that night I first saw you, and then... and then it was just so OBVIOUS that there was this big, gaping, _____ shaped hole in the puzzle, and I didn't understand WHY it was there, but what if I did something stupid and you didn't want anything to do with me and then I was left with this horrible, gaping hole in my puzzle-soul that I could never even hope to fill with anything else and-"  
  
Papyrus' desperate rambling was cut short as you pressed a deep, passionate kiss to his teeth. The tension that had been building within him melted away as he returned the kiss, holding you close as if he was afraid to let you go. Eventually, the two of you parted so that you could get some much-needed oxygen, though Papyrus continued to hold you close.  
  
Once you caught your breath, you cradled Papyrus' skull with both of your hands and gazed into his eyes. "Do you mean it?"  
  
"Mean it?" He asked.  
  
"That you felt in your soul that I was meant to be a part of your life, even from the start?"  
  
Papyrus considered your words carefully, then nodded. "Yes... I didn't understand the feeling back then, but comparing it to how I feel now, I realize... I was in love with you from the moment I saw you." Papyrus glanced away from you anxiously. "Nyeh... I'm sorry... that probably sounds really weird..."  
  
You pulled his skull back to face you, leaning your forehead against his own, a loving smile on your face. "On the contrary, nothing could make me happier."  
  
He remembered. Not consciously, no, but somewhere, deep within his soul he remembered. The bond the two of you had formed through trial after trial, through fire and brimstone, had survived. There were no doubts in your mind. Confused though he was by it, his soul had yearned to be reunited with yours, despite being ravaged by the Resets.  
  
"NYEH?! ARE YOU CRYING?! OH GOD... I'M SO SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO-"  
  
Tears trailing down your face, you silenced him with another quick, gentle kiss. "These are tears of joy, you goof." You smiled at him.  
  
"TEARS... OF JOY?" he asked.  
  
You nodded. "Yeah. It's because I love you so much..."  
  
"NYEH... HUMANS ARE WEIRD, BUT... I LOVE YOU, TOO." Papyrus smiled gently down at you before kissing you again.  
  
You felt your soul soar. You had endured so many lives... So many hardships... So many deaths... But this feeling right here... this strong, beautiful connection... made everything worthwhile.  
  
And, as your soul pulsed rapidly in-tune with his own, you felt confident... Confident that no matter what happened... no matter where your soul wound up... he would be waiting for you. And through this strong, beautiful connection, you would find each other, again and again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End. 
> 
> For real, this time. Told you guys I'm a sucker for happy endings. :) It's also part of why it took so long to finish this last chapter. Thanks for your patience! I had an absolutely blast writing this, and all of you made it totally worthwhile. Thanks for coming along on this crazy ride with me!
> 
> However... Sometimes "The End" isn't really the end. While the story is complete, that doesn't mean there isn't anything left to explore. That's why I've created a sub-fic of sorts. The purpose of it is to explore aspects of this story and other related ideas that aren't covered in the main story. Some of it will be my own thoughts and ideas, and some of it will be request-based. Anyone is free to leave a comment asking me to expand on something in this story's universe and, if inspiration strikes, I'll post a chapter about it! Think of it like a bonus! (Keep in mind that not all posts will necessarily be canon to this story, as I might include "what-if" scenarios and such.)
> 
> You can find this sub-fic at this link: [Transmigration of the Soul: Moments in Time](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10012049/chapters/22321916)
> 
> To get you started, and to thank you all for supporting this fic and being patient about this last chapter, I've included an "epilogue" scene for your enjoyment! 
> 
> Once again, thank you everyone for your support, and feel free to check out my tumblr: [The Studio](http://parttimegiraffechoreographer.tumblr.com/)


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